Philips GoGear SA 9345 and SA 9325 are two dollies from the gadget giant that promise to keep you hooked to your music. They support MP3s, JPEGs, WMV files and FM radio. The duo weighs 48 g each and are just 9cm long. SA9345 features a huge 4GB memory capacity where as SA9325 has 2GB capacity. That spells out to up to 50 hours of music, up to 1120 photos, or 20 hours of video content on the 4GB player. Also featured at the IFA 2007 are Philips GoGear SA61xx series. The new 3.5-inch SA61XX portable flash memory player features an LCD high quality color display, and up to four hours of video and 15 hours of musical playtime. The flash player supports playback of WMA and MP3 files as well as an FM radio and has 2GB memory. The SA61XX features Philips SuperScroll, which allows easy speed control. The Compact Philips GoGear SA31 players is for people who are more focused on music but still enjoy watching video and photos on the move. It is available in two versions; the 1GB (SA3115) and 2 GB (SA3125) and provide up to 10 hours of music from its rechargeable batteryhttp://www.ifa.philips.com/press-releases/19.html
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Friday, August 31, 2007
Philips’ GoGear line of portable entertainment players
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
After iPhone fame, it's off to college
George Hotz's unlocked iPhone isn't ringing non-stop anymore with interview requests -- and he finally got a decent night's sleep.
But the last three days have been a whirlwind of TV and media appearances for the Bergen Academies graduate.
The Glen Rock teenager rocked the tech world last week with claims to be the first person to unlock Apple's iPhone, freeing it from exclusive use on AT&T's network.
News of his achievement, which Hotz posted on his blog and was first reported in The Record in Friday's editions, catapulted the 17-year-old to international fame.
By late Friday afternoon, Hotz was telling his tale on CNBC, a reporter for The New York Times had called him and he had been interviewed for National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."
That was only the beginning. Over the weekend, he traded one of his two unlocked iPhones for a snazzy new
Nissan 350Z sports car. Someone created a biographical entry for him on Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. And Kevin Mitnick, one of the world's most famous computer hackers, e-mailed him his phone number. (They spoke for half an hour, Hotz said).
Hotz, who juggled media interviews as he headed north Saturday with his parents to freshmen orientation at Rochester Institute of Technology, was matter-of-fact about his rather lengthy 15 minutes of fame.
"It's been fun," Hotz said Monday as he shopped for a new computer router at a Rochester Best Buy with his parents.
"Things are settling down -- and no lawyers have called," joked his father, also George Hotz.
Neither have Apple or AT&T, the younger Hotz said.
The companies have kept mum on Hotz's hack, which was hailed by online tech bloggers after Hotz posted the complicated 10 steps needed to modify the iPhone's guts on his own blog. Hotz had help from a small group of hackers around the world who knew each other only by their online names.
Since Hotz's solution was posted, at least two more groups have come forward to report iPhone hacks, including one that is strictly a software modification. Those methods have not been released publicly.
Hotz's method requires both software changes and some fancy soldering work to change the phone's hardware that might take as much as 12 hours, he estimates.
Hotz's work was built in part on work done previously by other hackers. In the weeks following the iPhone's splashy introduction in June, hackers around the world were racing to discover the smart phone's internal design. Apple's exclusive deal with AT&T to sell the iPhone in the United States posed an irresistible challenge for hackers seeking to "free" the phone so it could be used on other cell carriers' networks. One prior solution used a modified SIM card (which contains cellphone number and account information) and some additional expensive equipment.
Hotz spent 500 hours working to modify the iPhone -- including one step that requires gently scraping a minuscule piece of metal smaller than a pinhead and then soldering a wire to it with great precision.
The process is complicated enough that few experts believed a cottage industry would spring up as a result using Hotz's method. Hotz has said that he has no plans to turn his newfound skill into a business. In the United States, an unlocked iPhone can run only on T-Mobile's network (Hotz wanted to unlock one in part because his parents subscribe to a T-Mobile family plan and Hotz wanted to use an iPhone).
He put one of his two unlocked phones on eBay but canceled the auction Saturday after fraudulent bidders pushed the price into the tens of millions. Hotz said he doubted those bids as soon as he saw them.
After canceling the bids, Hotz was contacted Saturday morning by Terry Daidone, founder of Kentucky-based Certicell, a supplier of used cellphones, who offered to trade a new Nissan and three 8GB iPhones for the iPhone. Hotz said he wants to give iPhones to the other members of his Web-based group, Dev Wiki, who helped him figure out the hack.
Hotz plans to fly to Kentucky at the end of the week to meet Daidone, then home to pick up the new car Saturday and drive back up to Rochester.
The electrical engineering whiz, who graduated from Bergen Academies, took apart a car which is still in pieces in his parents' back yard. He said he would "probably not" take this one apart. He amended that quickly -- "probably not right away; I'm going to be careful when I take this one apart."
Microsoft Preps Windows Vista SP 1 For Early 2008
"A small group of testers has been putting a preview of the SP1 Beta through its paces to help prepare for broader release," Nick White, a Microsoft product manager, wrote in blog post on Windows Vista’ official blog. "We made the choice to start with a very small group of testers because we think it's better for both our customers and for Microsoft to keep the beta program small at the start."
According to Microsoft, Windows Vista SP1 will not add new features, but instead it will address key feedback received from its customers. Also the company insisted that the SP1 will not affect any applications that are currently running on Windows Vista.
Also, Microsoft said that the Service Pack 1 will improve existing features. For example, the service pack improves the performance of the desktop shell, but it does not provide a new search user interface or a new version of Windows Media Center.
As Microsoft explained the updates packed in Windows Vista SP 1 fall into three categories: Quality improvements, improvements to the administration experience and support for emerging hardware and standards.
Also, Windows Vista will include all previously released updates for Windows Vista, as part of monthly security bulletins.
By quality improvements Microsoft targets key issues of Windows Vista: security, reliability and performance.
For example, Windows Vista SP1 will include application programming interfaces (APIs) by which third-party security and malicious software detection applications can work with kernel patch protection on x64 versions of Windows Vista.
Also SP1 will enhance BitLocker Drive Encryption (BDE) by offering an additional multifactor authentication method that combines a key protected by the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) with a Startup key stored on a USB storage device and a user-generated personal identification number (PIN).
Microsoft said that Windows SP1 will improve reliability when Windows Vista it’s used used with newer graphics cards and will addres the issues that might appear when the users upgrade from Windows XP.
After applying Windows Vista SP 1 the users should experience better speed when copying and extracting files and their PCs will respond faster when activated from Hibernate and Resume modes.
For notebook users Windows Vista SP 1 could mean better battery life, as Microsoft reduced the CPU utilization
Many of the changes in Windows Vista SP1 will address also the administration Experience. Administratos will surely appreciate the improvements to Group Policy management.
In the SP1 timeframe, administrators can download an out-of-band release that will give them the ability to add comments to Group Policy Objects (GPOs) or individual settings and search for specific settings.
Also the update will add support for upcoming standards and hardware, such as Direct3D 10.1, Secure Sockets Tunneling Protocol (SSTP), Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), and the Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT), a file system for Flash drives.
The service pack will include support for Secure Digital (SD) Advanced Direct Memory Access (DMA), which will be on compliant SD host controllers soon, to improve transfer performance and decrease CPU utilization.
SP 1 will improve also performance of Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista, by reducing CPU utilization and speeding JavaScript parsing.
Microsoft will offer three methods for Windows Vista XP SP 1 deployment: Express, Stand-alone, that is recommended for computers with limited Internet connectivity and for applying the service pack to multiple computers. The standalone update will be about 1GB for x86 platforms and require 7GB of free disk space to install. The third method of deployments is the slipstream version of Windows Vista SP1, a media that already contains the service pack, which companies can use to deploy the operating system to new computers or to upgrade existing computers.
Microsoft launched the consumer version of its Windows Vista operating system on January 30 this year and it’s considered the most expensive software programme in the world which took five years and 7 billion dollars to develop.
So far Windows Vista has proved to be a major success. In July Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, said that currently Windows Vista boasts with more than 60 million legal licensees and 42 million licenses have been sold to businesses through its volume licensing program. According to Ballmer the Windows-powered PCs will surpass the number of cars produced in the world by the end of fiscal year 2008.
Also Windows Vista has also seen an increase in the number of software applications that run on it, from the 650 available at launch to more than 2,000 at present day, while more than 11,000 devices are certified with Windows Vista logo and other 21 million are simply compatible with the OS.
For consumers Windows Vista has four different versions designed to fit everyone and the prices range from 199 dollars for Vista Home Basic to 399 dollars for the Windows Vista Ultimate with all the bells and whistles.
Microsoft’s recent financial reports indicate the 13% increase in revenues registered in the first quarter of 2007 (compared to the same period last year), is mainly due to the strong sales of Windows Vista.
Microsoft said it will release also the third service pack for Windows XP in the next few weeks, but the company said it should not significantly change the XP user experience. The final version of Windows XP SP 3 will be released to PC makers in the first half of 2008.
White PS2 coming to America
Released in April, SingStar Pop is the second installment in Sony's popular karaoke series, which makes its debut on the PlayStation 3 in November. The game lets players belt out tunes by the likes of Alicia Keys, Ashlee Simpson, and The All-American Rejects in both single- and multiplayer modes. The game was developed by Sony's London Studio and is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older.
Along with the white console and a copy of SingStar Pop, the bundle will include two USB microphones. It will be available this November in North America and retail for $149.99 in the US and C$159.99 in Canada
Nokia Brings N95 Super-Phone to US
Nokia will start selling a fully US-compatible version of the Editors' Choice N95 super-phone next month, the company announced at an event in London on Wednesday. Nokia also announced four other new phones, including a sleek black-and-red music phone almost certainly destined for T-Mobile, a new gaming service under the old N-Gage brand, and several improvements to Nokia's music phone experiences.
Nokia also announced four other phones today, all of which will be available through the company's flagship stores in the US by the end of the year.
An 8GB version of the European N95 with an even larger screen will run $750—here, you're trading in the US N95's network speed for the bigger screen and more storage.
The N81, a sliding music smart phone that comes in both flash-memory-ready and 8GB-built-in models, will sell for $500 to $600.
The 5610 XpressMusic music phone has an unusual slider key to flip it into music mode; that one will run $400.
But the most interesting for US consumers, because of its likelihood of being picked up by T-Mobile, is the 5310 XpressMusic. The Nokia 5310 is a slim candybar with an aluminum body, only 0.4 inches thick and weighing 2.5 ounces. Yet it has a 2MP camera and a high-res 320-by-240, 16-million-color screen. It's a combination of style and power we rarely see here in the US. The 5310 is expected to sell for $306 unlocked, but if T-Mobile picks up this EDGE phone, they'll subsidize it and lower the price.
The 5310 will work with both Windows Media Player and the new Nokia Music PC client, a very necessary refresh of Nokia's PC software. The Music PC client will enable two-way synchronization of playlists to and from the phone.
Nokia also announced a music store, but it's irrelevant to US consumers; the company only plans to offer the online store in Europe and Asia, according to the press release. Ditto with Ovi, Nokia's Internet services brand, which pulls together "web communities" and various services at ovi.com; we're unlikely to be able to access it on our handsets here.
Here in the US, it's still up in the air whether wireless carriers will choose to block the service, as it may compete with their own attempts to sell games over the air.
Apple shares rise on new iPod buzz
Apple Inc shares rose more than 4.5 percent on Wednesday, fueled by excitement over the pending launch of new iPod digital music players, which could entice current users to buy upgraded models.The stock climbed $5.74 to $132.56 in early trading on the Nasdaq, after Apple distributed invitations to a September 5 event in San Francisco. Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients that the date would bring "the almost certain launch of a new family of iPods.""The product announcement is likely to include a full line-up of revamped iPods with significantly greater functionality at current price points, including the much-anticipated full-screen video iPod," Goldman said.Goldman recommended clients buy Apple shares, saying the next video iPod could drive "an accelerated upgrade cycle."Apple shares are up about 55 percent this year, driven by the steady strength of the iPod, which dominates the portable music player market, and the late June launch of the iPhoThe share gains come despite top mobile-phone maker Nokia's unveiling on Wednesday of its own online music store, new top-end handsets aimed atrivaling Apple.Separately, Apple said on Wednesday it will sell television programs in Britain via its iTunes store as part of a push to become a one-stop shop for digital entertainment.
New Nokia Services, Gadgets Aim at Apple
Nokia Corp. unveiled new services and cell phones Wednesday that customers can use to download music and play games, a bid by the world's largest mobile phone maker to challenge Apple Inc.'s higher-end iPhone, as well as iTunes and the iPod.
The move by Nokia (nyse: NOK - news - people ), whose basic handsets give it a strong position in emerging markets, is the latest recognition that high-end markets require handsets with photo, music and video capabilities and quick access to the Internet.
One of Nokia's new phones can hold up to 6,000 songs. Other new gadgets include headphones, docking stations and speakers.
Nokia said it will focus its new Web services in a site known as "Ovi" - Finnish for "door" - that will include an online music store "with millions of tracks from major labels."
With the new services, consumers will be able to transfer music from PCs to compatible Nokia devices and play and download N-Gage games on "tens of millions" of existing Nokia devices, the Finnish company said.
In a Wednesday note to clients, American Technology Research analyst Mark McKechnie said Nokia's "expanded efforts into services ... will enable (the company) to offer `experiences' rather than just `devices,' which we believe will become more important as mobile services move from voice-centric to Internet-centric."
The announcement in London sent Nokia's U.S. shares up $2.17, or 7.2 percent, to $32.18, setting a new 52-week high.
"The industry is converging towards Internet-driven experiences, and Ovi represents Nokia's vision in combining the Internet and mobility," CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said in London.
Nokia's new top-range models, some including 5-megapixel cameras, Carl Zeiss optics, and memory of up to 8 gigabytes, range from $300 to $750.
Nokia bought Loudeye Corp., a leading provider of digital media distribution services, for $60 million last year to expand its digital music offerings. Now it has completed deals with the four major music labels - Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group (nyse: WMG - news - people ) Inc., EMI Group PLC and Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people ) BMG Music Entertainment, a joint venture of Sony Corp. and Bertelsmann AG. The "Nokia Music Store" will open this autumn in Europe and later in Asia and offer "locally relevant music" as well as hits.
Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people )'s iTunes store is currently the leading online music retailer, and its iPod is the most popular digital media player. The company in June entered Nokia's territory in releasing the iPhone, which combines a cell phone, media player and wireless Internet device.
Nokia's announcement emphasized the new items' sleek design and slim size - one phone is less than 10 millimeters thick - another apparent attempt to counterbalance Apple and its renown for design.
Last week, Nokia and Microsoft Corp. (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) also announced that access to some of the software maker's most popular Web services, like Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger, will come built into some Nokia phone models.
Since losing out to rivals that produced popular camera features and clamshell models several years ago, Nokia is regaining its dominance in part because it has already offered some successful smart phones.
In the second quarter, Nokia sold 100 million mobile devices - more than its three main rivals combined. It accounted for 37 percent of the global market, according to technology research group Gartner Inc. (nyse: IT - news - people ) - up from 34 percent a year earlier.
Nokia, based in Espoo near the Finnish capital, Helsinki, has sales offices in 130 countries and employs 110,000 people worldwide.
Can Lawsuits Unhack the iPhone?
The iPhone hacks by 17-year-old George Hotz and others have spawned much publicity and speculation on the legal ramifications. Meanwhile, a New York man has reportedly filed a class action lawsuit against Apple for what he charges was the company's failure to adequately disclose that AT&T is the sole wireless carrier for the iPhone.
More Keys to Come
In the wake of Hotz's achievement last week, several other unlocking efforts have been announced. While Hotz's effort involved tinkering with both hardware and software, iphonesimfree.com, for example, claims to be on the verge of releasing the first software-only hack into the iPhone.
Hotz's technique required soldering and technical sophistication that would likely be prohibitive to many, but a software-only approach is expected to find much broader adoption.
Apple and AT&T have both declined to comment.
A Legal Complaint
Meanwhile, a New York man has reportedly filed a class action lawsuit against Apple for what he charges was its failure to adequately disclose the fact that AT&T is the sole wireless carrier for the iPhone.
Herbert Kliegerman, 68, owner of three iPhones, reportedly says Apple's actions violate a New York State consumer protection law prohibiting deceptive acts or practices, according to the New York Sun.
His complaint demands that Apple stop selling the phones because it doesn't disclose the fact that the iPhone is locked against outside service plans. He also wants to require Apple to provide unlock codes for other service plans to customers, and to adequately disclose the fees incurred by using the device internationally, according to the paper.
DMCA Protection?
At the time he announced his hack, 17-year-old Hotz said his unlock was protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The true legality, however, is far from clear.
"It is tough to keep the genie in the bottle, especially one desired as much as the iPhone is," Raymond Van Dyke, a technology attorney in Washington, told MacNewsWorld.
"It is not surprising that yet another techie has deciphered the codes, keyed the locks and otherwise unleashed the mysteries within the latest bottle," Van Dyke said. "It is inevitable, but that does not, however, make it right. The DMCA and other statutes against decryption could have been violated by these actions, which although seemingly innocent could have serious economic consequences."
There is, nevertheless, an exception to the DMCA that could cover cell phone hacking.
No Helping Others
"The copyright office ruled that if you want to unlock a phone, you can do it without violating copyright," Jonathan Kramer, principal attorney at the Kramer Telecom Law Firm, told MacNewsWorld.
A distinction is made, though, between unlocking a phone for yourself and helping others do it, Kramer explained.
"The key point is that if you can figure out how to do it, have at it," he said. "However -- and this is the issue around Hotz -- publishing instructions on how to do it falls under a different provision of the DMCA, which says you can't help others violate copyright."
Helping others unlock a cell phone is not an area in which there's much legal guidance so far, Kramer noted, since it's new and still fairly open to interpretation.
An Unsuitable Defendant
So, while Hotz's trading of his unlocked iPhone for a car and more phones is not likely to present a legal problem, the fact that he showed others how to unlock their phones might, Kramer said.
Will Hotz get sued? "I think he is ripe to be sued, because there's a principle in law that if you don't protect your rights, you may effectively waive them," Kramer explained. "I think Apple and AT&T will want to make sure people don't play around with their software."
On the other hand, Hotz's tender age may work to his advantage, Kramer added. "The one thing that may help Hotz is that he is not a publicly appealing bad guy," Kramer said.
If given a choice, attorneys tend to pick defendants who are not socially acceptable, he added. So, "it may be that AT&T and Apple wait for a more clear-cut bad guy, and take out their vengeance on that person."
GameTech’s Nintendo DS save game transfer system
GameTech is coming out with a system where you can transfer your Nintendo DS-related media to and from your PC. This hardware/software combo will be released in Japan on August 31st. from what can be deciphered from the box, the system seems to be clear-cut enough, consisting a USB stick-sized device that'll accommodate your DS cart and some software (Windows only) that'll help you backup and manage your save game files.
Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone Coming Soon
What comes after W, K, Cyber-shot and Bravia? It’s not a Mensa code, but the aforementioned are the lineup of Sony Ericsson phones. And if we go by what the PS gaming boss Peter Ahnegard says, then we could be holding a PlayStation-branded gaming phone in our hands sooner than we think. We are not sure if its coming this Christmas or not, but rest assured when the phone arrives, we will be more than glad to welcome it.
LG's 3G KS20 smartphone with WinMo 6 and HSDPA
LG’s new KS20 is hip smartphone and will be seen in the upcoming IFA2007. it is just 12.8 mm thick and boasts of a 2.8-inch all touch screen display with full browsing capability. It runs on Windows Mobile 6.0, supports HSDPA network with 3.6Mbps download speed. Other specs include push email service, 2-megapixel camera, MP3 playback, Bluetooth 2.0, cursive script recognition and video call.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Rep: No Nintendo Wii Budget Label Plans In The Works
If you’re holding off on a buying a Wii title thinking that it’s going to be released on a future budget label…don’t. The company has admitted it has no plans to reinstate the Players Choice line, which released popular first party games at cheaper prices after a period of time.
“We have no plans for a Wii budget label. Nintendo Wii software is performing very well at its current price points,” a Nintendo rep recently told MCV.
“It’s important to note that Nintendo do not set prices. It is retailers that will ultimately set the prices of both hardware and software. And with brand new software titles available at estimated retail prices of between £19.99 and £34.99, we feel Wii represents great value over any current new competitor titles.”
Much as we’d always like to see prices slashed, it does seem perfectly logical for the company to keep the status quo for the time being. After all, it’s not like they’re having any problem with sales these days.
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I’m honestly beginning to think the Wii is not the bargain I thought it was. I recently bought a Wii knowing it was one of the best deals around, plus I didn’t want to stretch to either the Xbox 360 or PS3. I grabbed one for £210 with Mario Strikers thrown in (plus Wii Sports obviously). “Not a bad deal” I thought. Later I decided I wanted an extra controller so I can play with my mates, and was shocked that an extra controller (with nunchuck) cost about £45 (or £50 if I had got them with Wii Play). So at that point I had spent about £255 on a system that once appeared to be cheap. Then on top of that I realized I should invest in some sort of charger for those battery-guzzling Wiimotes, so that’s another £10.
Over £260 for my Wii, and I haven’t even bought a new game for it! I wanted to try out that Virtual Console, but that would mean another £15 for a game pad, and £15 for Wii points. Seriously, I would have braved the Red Ring of Death and bought a 360 if I had known how much the Wii would end up costing! Even the damn PS3 seems like a far better deal for what you’re getting! Don’t get me wrong, the Wii is a great system, but it’s NOT the budget console it appears to be.
As for the games… Even though I like a few of the Wii games available (the quirkier the better), I do think they’re overpriced for what they are. I mean come on! How much effort went into games like ‘Cooking Mama’ compared to the 360/PS3 titles? The games are fun, but should never charge over £15 for them, £20 tops. At the moment it seems Ninty can slap any price tag on their products and people will buy them. I did, and I’m a fool.
Posting Your CommentPlease Wait
MTV Games confirms Rock Band delay
MTV Games, Harmonix and EA have put and end to widespread speculation by confirming that the European rollout of 'Rock Band' has been pushed back into early 2008.
The news came along with the surprise announcement that there will also be a version of the game released for the PS2.
Featuring many of the modes found in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, the PlayStation 2 version will also introduce new elements exclusive to the format. Additionally, European versions of 'Rock Band' will feature extensively localised content for multiple territories, both on-disc and via download.
MTV Games also used Leipzig to reveal a further 10 new tracks, bringing the total on-disc to 26. The new songs, all original master recordings, are as follows:
Rolling Stones 'Gimme Shelter'
Deep Purple 'Highway Star'
The Clash 'Should I Stay or Should I Go'
Faith No More 'Epic'
Smashing Pumpkins 'Cherub Rock'
Radiohead 'Creep'
Beastie Boys 'Sabotage'
Jet 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl'
OK Go 'Here It Goes Again'
Nine Inch Nails 'The Hand That Feeds'
PS3 set to employ PVR technology
Sony has announced that the PS3 will soon employ PVR technology in European PAL territories.
Turning the Playstation3 into a Personal Video Recorder, PlayTV allows PS3 owners to watch, pause and record TV from a range of free channels.
Available in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain in early 2008, PlayTV's comprehensive features include two HD TV tuners to watch and record different channels and compatibility with the PSP to set recordings, watch live TV and watch recorded programmes.
"The introduction of PlayTV really will extend the already broad entertainment credentials of PS3, and makes it an exceptionally attractive proposition for the whole family," said David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "PS3 already provides High Definition gaming, Blu-ray Disc movies, music, video, photo album, web browsing and Playstation Network support. With the introduction of PlayTV's state of the art TV tuner and PVR functionality, PS3 is now the best choice of home entertainment hub for the whole family."
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Coming to Xbox LIVE(R) Arcade Seattle, Washington
Hothead Games today announced that its highly anticipated Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness episodic game series will debut on Xbox LIVE(R) Arcade - the premier destination for digitally distributed, high definition original and classic games - in early 2008.
On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One is the first title in the downloadable series for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and the Xbox 360(tm) video game and entertainment system. Hothead is working with the Penny Arcade creators and adventure game pioneer Ron Gilbert in an intense collaborative development process.
"We're very excited to be bringing our game series to Xbox LIVE Arcade," said Vlad Ceraldi, Hothead's President. "We love Xbox LIVE Arcade's ability to deliver great content directly to gamers. Digital distribution lets indie game developers innovate and experiment with new gameplay concepts."
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Open Multiplayer Beta on the Xbox 360 Starts Today
Free Retrofit for Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
Microsoft has announced it will provide owners of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel with a free retrofit after the company was informed of a small number of malfunctions: As a precautionary measure, Microsoft Corporation is voluntarily providing its customers with a free retrofit to the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. The Wheels were manufactured during 2006 - 2007. A component in the Wheel chassis may in rare cases overheat and release smoke when the AC-DC power supply is used to energize the Wheel. If you own an Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, print out the retrofit form, complete it, and fax or send it in. You'll receive information soon from Microsoft regarding your retrofit. In the meantime, only use your Wireless Racing Wheel in battery mode. For further information and support, please contact 1-800-4MY-XBOX.
Nokia 500 Auto Navigation In-Car GPS, Multimedia, and Bluetooth Phone Calling Device
The new Nokia 500 Auto Navigation device was designed to handle in-car navigation and communication, with its GPS capabilities, plus hands-free calling with a Bluetooth compatible mobile phone. It has a 4.3 inch wide color screen for viewing your destinations, searching through contacts and making and receiving calls, and features a speaker system with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) for the best audio quality. The Nokia 500 Auto Navigation device is equipped with high-sensitivity GPS and Nokia Maps navigation software, which makes for clear spoken and visual directions, and as you would expect, comes with pre-installed regional maps, and detailed travel information, including points of interest such as hotels, petrol stations and tourist sites. The widescreen also takes advantage of an intuitive Nokia interface, featuring a split screen which displays additional information alongside the main screen like details on your next turn, estimated time of arrival and distance remaining.
The Nokia 500 Auto Navigation is expected to be available in the fourth quarter 2007 at an estimated retail price of EUR 300, or about $410 USD.
Sony VAIO LT PC and TV in One
The VAIO LT PC/TV comes in a standard version, and a high-definition version that features a Blu-ray Disc optical drive (model VGC-LT19U) allowing you to watch high-definition movies, as well as record, store and play back content on high-capacity BD discs of up to 50 GB. The LT is also wall mauntable with the VESA-compatible mount (not included). Sony came up with a unique wire organizing tab located on the back of the unit that helps keep wires hidden.
Sansa Clip MP3 Player from SanDisk
SanDisk's new Sansa Clip mp3 player is said to be about the same size as a matchbook, and it includes a very useful removable clip like the latest iPod Shuffle. The Sansa product line is full of great mp3 players, but the Sansa Clip fills a gap with its tiny size and cheap price points. You can pick up a 1GB Sansa Clip, available in black for $40, or the 2GB version, available in red, pink, and blue for $60. For that price, these should sell like hotcakes come the holiday season.
Along with playing MP3 and WMA tracks, as well as subscription music downloads from Rhapsody, SanDisk has packed a good amount of features in the Sansa Clip including a four-line OLED screen, FM radio and recorder, and a built-in mic for voice recordings. The player has a four-way control pad, and a standard mini USB port, but no expansion card slot unfortunately. Look for the Sansa Clip to be released in September.
NPD: Nintendo tops in the US
NPD Group and internal Nintendo figures have revealed that the Wii was July’s best selling video game system in the US. Despite various pricing shifts in the game industry, the Wii also scored its highest weekly sales rates since December.
Nintendo continue to dominate with the Wii and Nintendo DS remaining the top two best selling video game systems in the US. Together the two systems outsold all other hardware.
For those of you who are interested in the ebb and flow of the gaming industry, here are some other Nintendo facts:
Nintendo remained the top US game publisher for the sixth consecutive month.
So far this year, Nintendo titles claim six of the industry’s top 10 best sellers, including the top three: Pokemon Diamond (overall No. 1) and Pokemon Pearl (No. 3) for Nintendo DS, and Wii Play (No. 2) for Wii.
Nintendo DS, with more than 300 titles available, has the largest game library for any current generation system.
Wii has added new titles (averaging nine per month since launch) at a faster rate than any other new home system.
Including an ever-increasing library of classic titles available for download on the Wii Shop Channel, American owners of Nintendo DS and Wii will have a combined selection of nearly 800 games to choose from by year end.
Nintendo expects momentum for both systems to continue, given the Aug. 20 launch of Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day for Nintendo DS and the upcoming Aug. 27 launch of the hugely anticipated Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for Wii.
New Tony Hawk contains Guitar Hero III Demo
Tony Hawk Proving Ground is about to launch for Sony PS3 & PS2 along with Nintendo Wii & DS. The Xbox 360 version will preview Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
Make way for Tony Hawk Proving Grounds, sliding into stores this October.Continuing the success of the Tony Hawk franchise with enhanced character development, even wider and more open environments, video editing and online play.Xbox 360 Tony Hawk fans will also be treated with five tracks from the upcoming Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.The Demo will feature tracks playable in one venue (Desert Rock Tour venue).The tracks are; Lay Down by Priestess, Even Flow by Pearl Jam, The Metal by Tenacious D, Hit Me with your Best Shot as performed by Pat Benatar and Rock You like a Hurricane as performed by the Scorpions"Music is such a huge part of skateboarding culture and pairing the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock demo with Tony Hawk's Proving Ground makes perfect sense," said Dusty Welch, head of publishing at Activision division RedOctane
BioShock not coming to PS3
BioShock makers 2K Games have confirmed that they won't be releasing a PS3 version of the underwater first person shooter.
In an interview with gaming website Joystiq, Ken Levine, the lead designer for the game said that:
"There is noXbox 360 PS3 version of BioShock in development or planned."
The news is likely to be welcomed by Microsoft looking to score an edge over Sony's console in the months up to Christmas.
PS3 fans had hoped a version would be making its way onto the console following hints in the games PC code released at the same time as the Xbox 360 version.
"I promise you, there is no secret plan about the PS3 that we're keeping from people", said Levine in the interview.
"There's no PS3 development going on that we're hiding. There's lots of stuff that gets into game code, plans change over time and we got an exclusive deal with Microsoft ... that's not a Rosetta Stone discovery."
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Sony launches TV tuner, recorder for PS3
The combined television tuner and personal video recorder, dubbed PlayTV, is aimed at helping Sony boost sales of its high-end gaming console as well as its portable gaming unit. Sales are due to start in Spain, Germany, France, Italy and Britain in early 2008.
Sony announced the new product Wednesday at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany.
Using a format known in Europe as Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial, the PlayTV integrates into the PlayStation 3 console and lets users record individual episodes or entire series to its hard drive.
Sony said the device's twin TV tuners are high-definition ready and able to view, record and play back in that format. Recorded video can be sent wirelessly from the console to a PSP.
For all its advances, Sony's PS3 has faced formidable competition from rivals like Nintendo Co.'s Wii and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360.
Sony had sold 4.3 million PS3 consoles as of June, compared with 11.6 million Xbox 360s and about 8 million Wiis.
The PS3 retails for 599 euros ($808) in Europe and $499 in the U.S. The company did not say how much PlayTV would cost or when it would be available elsewhere in Europe, Asia or the Americas.
Jonathan Arber and Jonathan Coham, analysts at Ovum, a London-based research firm, said PlayTV was the "next logical step" for Sony in competing with the Xbox 360, but said Sony still has to overcome the console's price and bring out more games.
Microsoft Taps EA Exec For New Position
Microsoft has created a new executive-level position to oversee part of its Interactive Entertainment Business division and named former Electronic Arts vice president John Schappert to lead it.Schappert's new position - corporate vice president of Live, software and services -will be responsible for Xbox Live, Games for Windows, XNA and Microsoft Casual Games.Schappert founded Tiburon Entertainment in 1994, which EA bought four years later. Schappert has since overseen the creation of hundreds EA games, including the Madden NFL series, which he originally worked on as a programmer, Microsoft said. Schappert's latest role at EA included oversight of central technology, operations, EA online and the office of the chief creative officer. Previously, Schappert held senior-level positions at EA including chief operating officer of worldwide studios, group general manager, and general manager of EA Canada and EA Tiburon. He will report to Don Mattrick, senior vice president of Microsoft's IEB division. The move is the latest is a series of recent executive swaps between the two industry giants. EA announced in July that it would hire high-profile MS games exec Peter Moore to be president of its sports division. Former EA president Mattrick, in turn, joined MS to head IEB. "I am thrilled to have John join the deep bench of proven talent already on Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business," Mattrick said. "John's expertise will help us focus on expanding and enriching our market leadership with Live in areas like online services while broadening our audience. John will also build on the great work already happening in the developer community working with Chris Satchell and the XNA organization."
Microsoft Halo 3 Themed Xbox 360: suggested price of GBP 280 (EUR 414)
The Microsoft Halo 3 theme Xbox 360 will have to be for die-hard gamers as I cannot see many people wanting a green frog colored 360.
The release date for this green looking games console is 26th September at the same time of the Halo 3 launch.
Features on the Halo 3-themed Xbox 360 include one month of Live Gold membership, Play & Charge Kit, Ethernet cable, component HD AV cable, special Halo 3 theme and gamer pictures, wired headset, a wireless controller, 20GB hard drive, a HDMI port and the fancy Spartan-green and gold paint job.
With the busy Christmas line-up, I wonder if it will be a successful period for Microsoft.Source
PAX: Penny Arcade Adventures Game Xbox-Bound
But hey -- when it does come out, you'll be able to play it on Xbox instead of your PC, if you so desire. And I do. It'll also ship on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
PS3 sales up 60%: Wii and Xbox 360 still ahead
July NPD numbers are in, and it looks like it was a good month for everybody with industry sales totaling $925.5 million, up 37% year over year.
Sony's experiencing a boost in sales due to its recent $100 price cut on the Playstation 3, and many are weary to buy an Xbox 360 due to the console's ridiculous 33% failure rate. But that's not stopping Microsoft from beating its main rival Sony, so it turns out Pachter, a Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst, was wrong when he predicted the PS3 would outsell the Xbox 360 for July.
GameDaily.biz reports the following sell-through numbers:
Wii: 425,000
DS: 405,000
PS2: 222,000
PSP: 214,000
X360: 170,000
PS3: 159,000
GBA: 87,000
That brings up an important question: Who the hell is buying the Game Boy Advance? That thing is long dead, and even Nintendo has declared the "Game Boy" brand dead.
Software sales also grew 11% to $419.2 million, with NCAA Football 08 declaring itself king:
NCAA Football 08—360—EA: 397,000
Guitar Hero Encore Rocks the 80s—PS2—Activision: 339,000
Wii Play w/remote—Wii—Nintendo: 278,000
NCAA Football 08—PS2—EA: 236,000
Mario Party 8—Wii—Nintendo: 177,000
NCAA Football 08—PS3—EA: 156,000
Pokemon Diamond—DS—Nintendo: 144,000
Transformers: The Game—PS2—Activision: 143,000
Guitar Hero II w/guitar—PS2—Activision: 138,000
Guitar Hero II w/guitar—360—Activision: 108,000
It seems business was great for everyone, although Xbox 360 sales are down a bit since June, the console does hold the top spot in software sales. Sony should be happy with the increase in sales, and Nintendo's raking in the dough like usual.
Week recap: PS3 DVR; Xbox 360 Falcon; Wii U.S. sales
Sales for Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 gained 61 percent in the July U.S. sales. The sales spur was due to a price cut that reduced the 60GB PS3 SKU by $100.Sales for Playstation 3 held in Japan for the fourth consecutive week on demand for Everybody's Golf 5. The hardware ranked No. 4 in overall sales.
Sony this week began offering new downloads at the Playstation Store, including the Folklore demo and new Games Convention MGS4 Trailer.
Sony this week introduced a new PS3 DVR device called PlayTV. The tuner will allow owners to record and play television from their PS3 hard drive.
Sony this week offered an update to the Folding@home application. Version 1.2 includes support for Remote Play on PSP and added protein simulations and visuals.
Eye of Judgement sales spiked this week at retailer Amazon.com. The PS3 card battle game includes the new Playstation Eye peripheral to scan color-coded cards.
Sega this week announced that it will strike Viking: Battle for Asgard to the PS3. The title is the first next-generation game from developer Creative Assembly.
PS3 60GB sales fell out of the top ten this week at retailer Amazon.com. The $499 hardware ranked in the No. 9 position the week prior.
Sales for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 experienced a small increase in the latest Japan retail data. The hardware ranked No. 6 in overall sales for the week.
The Mercury News this week reported that a 65-nm version of the Xbox 360 will reach U.S. retailers this fall. The new version will include a new CPU board code-named Falcon.
Activision Inc. this week reported that the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock demo will debut with the release of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground for Xbox 360.
Microsoft this week said that it will offer a fix for the Xbox 360 Racing Wheel after malfunction reports. The company announced a new three-year warranty for the hardware in July.
Microsoft this week announced that the title Project Gotham Racing 4 will speed to store shelves in Oct. The latest version features new locations and a dynamic weather system.
Nintendo Co.'s Wii ranked as the No. 1 best-selling video game hardware in July U.S. sales. The motion-sensitive hardware outsold the Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, and PS3 in the same period.
Sales for Wii totaled to more than 73,000 units in the latest Japan retail tally. The hardware ranked as the No. 2 overall video game offering for the week.
2K this week said that it will release Top Spin Tennis to Wii in spring 2008. The title will feature various modes, including multiplayer for up to four players.
Sega this week announced that it will release Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity to Wii in 2008. Additionally, the title will be released on the Playstation 2.
Plus get full commentary on this week's news from the Punch Jump Crew on Brew Episode #89 available at the official Punch Jump Brew website, iTunes, and Yahoo! Podcasts!
Punch Jump Brew wants to know what you think! This week's poll question is:
"Does the PS3 need another price cut?"
Head over the official Punch Jump Brew website and cast your vote on the sidebar poll and / or add a comment in the topic Brew #89 You Make The Call! and let us know how you feel! Your comment may be pimped in the next podcast!
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XBox 360 Preview: Eternal Sonata
Saturday, August 25, 2007
LG Prada in 24 carat Gold for bling-ring
Call of Duty 4 beta test details confirmed - UK gamers can take part!
Starting on the 27th August, all you need to do is register at www.charlieoscardelta.com and you’re in with a shot of being selected to test out some of the single and multiplayer modes before the games released towards the end of the year.
After the success of the Halo 3 beta, no doubt Activision will be dreaming about the possibility of masses of gamers getting extra excited about CoD4 just before Christmas. It’ll be interesting to see how the series works with its first attempt at telling a modern story, rather than relying on World War II.
Microsoft Recalls Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
Microsoft is to provide customers with a free retrofit to its Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel.
The action follows a very small number of incidents of a malfunction in the device, in which a component in the wheel chassis may overheat and release smoke when the AC/DC power supply is used to charge the wheel.
Microsoft has stressed that the action is precautionary and voluntary, and that there have been no reported incidences of fire, personal injury or property damage resulting from the failure.
A spokesman for the Xbox team told vnunet.com that the problem lies within the power supply and not the wheel itself. Customers who contact Microsoft will be sent a replacement power supply to rectify the problem.
Owners of the peripheral should stop using the AC/DC power supply until they have obtained their retrofit. They may continue to operate the wheel using battery power.
However, while operating in battery mode the force feedback feature will not be available. But once retrofitted, owners may run the wheel using AC power and reactivate this feature.
Microsoft has created a Wireless Racing Wheel recall web page which contains information about the problem and a link to a form that users can fill out and send in to Microsoft, at which point they will receive further details about the retrofit.
The company is working with the relevant regulatory agencies such as the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to make sure that the malfunction is properly dealt with, and has warned that this may affect delivery dates to suppliers.
Microsoft: "We can gain access to a type of consumer that PS3 can't."
Speaking to MCV, Microsoft’s UK marketing manager for the Xbox 360, Dan Cornelius, claims that the price difference between the Xbox 360 and PS3 means that they can “gain access to a type of consumer that PS3 cannot.”
Seeing the recent price drop in all three separate Xbox 360 SKU’s as a major plus point for the companies success during the festive period, Cornelius was quick to point out that the main drawback for Sony’s PS3 is the sheer price of the console.
“If you look at PS3, it’s a lot of money for families to come in at. Sony is requiring a fairly novice gamer to enter into things like Blu-Ray and wireless gaming by default. The Core’s still doing well for us in the UK and the price drop is bound to produce a spike in sales. These customers like the fact that they don’t have to foot the bill for a load of technology they don’t need.”
Though he neglects to mention the even cheaper price of the Nintendo Wii, he certainly does make a very good point. With the Elite retailing for a mere £300, it certainly makes the PS3’s still hefty RRP look even more excessive.
Alone in the Dark, Unreal Tournament 3 and Two Worlds
Last week was busy in gaming world with the game conference. Here are three games for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 that are coming out or have been released: "Atari has announced that Alone in the Dark will launch for PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system simultaneously with versions for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows platform. Sony Computer Entertainment’s next-generation console will play host to the latest chapter of the franchise that gave birth to the modern survival horror gaming genre. Alone in the Dark will deliver an edge-of-the-seat survival experience facilitated by state-of-the-art real-time physics and unparalleled environmental interaction within a meticulously detailed, open game world.
Developed by Eden Games, Alone in the Dark will propel the survival horror genre into the future with the new level of available technology that allows for unprecedented advances in gameplay and unmatched action-orientated gaming experiences in wide-open environments.With this upcoming installment of the hugely successful Alone in the Dark franchise, Eden and Atari aim to re-establish Alone in the Dark as the genre-leader on PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360 and the Windows platform."-----"SouthPeak Games, from the 2007 Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), today announced that Two Worlds, the publisher’s new, open-ended role-playing game for PC and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft is now available in stores nationwide. Two Worlds features over a hundred hours of single-player quests, stackable weapons and magic, as well as epic online multiplayer PvP and RPG gameplay.
Developed by TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump Studios, Two Worlds delivers the ultimate role-playing challenge. The game features unprecedented “player freedom,” with player decisions shaping the world permanently and directly affecting how the world reacts to the mere presence of the main mercenary character. Their journeys will take them through cities, dungeons, snow-covered mountains, bamboo forests, barren deserts and cause kings to be overthrown, cities to be sacked, and organizations to be eradicated. The world lives its own life, but it’s well within the player’s power to change it. The entire game of Two Worlds explodes with personality and original features like stackable weapons and magic - for the first time in an RPG, every item you collect has value. The ambience is at a new level with stunning graphics and Grammy Award winning composer Harold Faltermeyer providing the soundtrack. Combine this with online options that allow players to adventure together, and it’s easy to see why Two Worlds is destined to become the premier role-playing game experience.The storyline, based in the ancient world of Antaloor, thrusts players into a silent war amongst all of the civilized races and the Orc hordes, an evil legion of vicious beasts. The Orcs are desperately seeking to rediscover the power of their fallen leader, Aziraal, the god of war to launch their own holy crusade and take over the world. As one of the few people able to unlock the secrets of Aziraal’s tomb, gamers play a pivotal role in this ancient conflict. All the forces of the world wish to find the tomb first and seize its power. It is up to the players to save the world or destroy it.Two Worlds is rated M for Mature, and comes in both a Standard Edition and Collector’s Edition for both platforms. The collector’s version includes a bonus disc with additional art, videos and music, along with a collector edition map and hardbound role-playing book based off the game. For more information about Two Worlds or SouthPeak Games, please visit http://www.2-worlds.com/ or http://www.southpeakgames.com./"----"Midway Games and Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that the highly anticipated and award-winning Unreal Tournament 3 will be exclusive to the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and PC in 2007. Thanks to the open network of the PLAYSTATION 3 system, Unreal Tournament 3 will also be the first game to feature robust user generated content including multiplayer maps, custom game modes and much more. Developed by North Carolina-based, Epic Games Inc., Unreal Tournament 3 is scheduled to be available in November.
The technology behind Unreal Tournament 3, Epic’s world class Unreal Engine 3 will be fully optimized for the PLAYSTATION 3 system allowing game developers to take full advantage of the power and creativity that the engine offers."
PlayStation 3 Still Last
US sales for the Playstation 3 rose dramatically last month following a 100-dollar price cut, according to sales figures released Friday by rsearch firm NPD. But the Sony-made gaming console still lags behind both the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360. US retailers sold 159,000 PlayStation 3s last month, compared to 98,500 in June after Sony cut the price on the game machine in early July by 100 dollars to about 500 dollars. Retailers sold 170,000 Xbox 360s last month and 425,000 Nintendo Wiis. Sony's venerable PlayStation 2 outsold its younger sibling, with consumers snatching up 222,000 of the aging machines. Overall total July sales of video game hardware, software and accessories were up 37 per cent from the same month last year to 925.5 million dollars. The top games were Electronic Arts' NCAA Football 08, Activision's Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, and Nintendo's Wii Play.
Heavier price tag keeps Sony behind rivals
Sony was surely overconfident when it proclaimed that it was confident the July figures would reveal that its PlayStation 3 outsold the Microsoft Xbox 360 in the month. According to the latest NPD figures Sony’s much-hyped PS3 remains in third place behind the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360, globally.
However, July was a fine month for Sony’s game division as it sold the maximum number of PS3 units, since its November 2006 debut. 159,000 consoles were sold in July compared to 98,500 the month before.
Clearly outnumbering Sony, Nintendo sold 425,000 units of Wii and Microsoft managed the sale of 170,000 Xbox 360s during the month.
The sale figures are mainly driven by the difference in their prices and the cost factor also governs the rise in PS3 sales. A $100 price drop in Sony’s PS3 went into effect early July, sparking a scope for higher sales.
With fans lured towards the PS3 discounts, Microsoft suffered its second-worst month this year, for the console. It was the only one to have reported lower sales than the previous month.
While Sony and Microsoft fight it out for the second place, Nintendo clearly sweeps the market riding on its less powerful processor, simpler graphics and gyration-inspiring game controller. July sales of the Wii exceeded the June figures by around 50,000 units.
Although it is well-known that the PS3 is only being held back by the heavier price tag, Jonathan Fargher, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe representative, said the Company does not intend to slash prices to win market share “We believe it is all about content on the PS3. We will be making a series of announcements and releases that we are sure will act as a great incentive for people thinking of buying a PS3.”
The handheld gaming devices also reported weaker sales than June. Nintendo’s DS sold 405,000 units while Sony’s PSP sold 222,000 units in July.
The game market is under serious modifications as according to NDP through July, domestic sales of hardware, software and accessories were $7 billion, up from $5 billion for the first seven months of 2006.
Geometry Wars: Waves To Be Included in PGR4
The next Xbox 360 version of Geometry Wars won't be hitting the Xbox Live Arcade, but will be included in the upcoming release of Project Gotham Racing 4. After all, the addicitive shooter did begin as a mini-game in the garage of Project Gotham Racing 2.
From Console Monster:"Geometry Wars: Waves is based on the Live Arcade release Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved but isn't a direct sequel and won't join Retro Evolved on the Live Arcade."
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is currently available for download from the Xbox LIve Arcade or in the Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged retail release.
PS3 not getting BioShock, to stay Xbox 360 and PC exclusive
Despite previous reports, I would call them rumors that the PS3 would be getting BioShock, it has been confirmed that the game will not be coming over to the PS3, ever. So there, stop thinking it will.
Joystiq interviewed lead designer Kev Levine of 2K games who said over the phone, "I promise you, there is no secret plan about the PS3 that we’re keeping from people. There’s no PS3 development going on that we’re hiding. There’s lots of stuff that gets into game code, plans change over time and we got an exclusive deal with Microsoft … that’s not a Rosetta Stone discovery."
We reported on this in the past saying that it was not beyond the realm of possibility with a bit of skepticism thrown in. I'm not really surprised it isn't coming to the PS3 because we are talking about two entirely different systems. Now I'm left wondering how hard/easy it was to create a version for PCs and a version for the Xbox 360.
var sc_project=2633782; var sc_invisible=0; var sc_partition=25; var sc_security="804a9f57";
Xbox 360 security partially broken again
Hackers will never stop hacking the 360 until it’s open for use to everyone, an ongoing cat-and-mouse game between Microsoft and the hackers. This time the hackers succeeded to downgrade the dashboard version. By downgrading the dashboard it is possible again to go back to the exploitable dashboard that got fixed last February.
The hack is really technical, and because of that we won’t go into it in too much detail. Every bit in the Xbox 360 is secured with a key, which is unique for every Xbox 360. Hackers already found a way to extract that with the old exploitable dashboard, but the main problem was that Microsoft patched this leak before it was made public. The following from quotearnezami will explain the hack:
It would be foolish to try to break SHA1-HMAC (ed: the core security hash key). However the output of a hash usually has to be checked against something that is stored. Thats usually the point of it. This takes (a tiny bit of) time. The thing is many memcmp (ed: data comparison) functions use a byte-wise compare: “as long as no difference in the current byte is detected go to the next byte, but if this byte is different stop”. In other words: it might take (a fraction of a second) longer if the output is similar at the beginning (to the stored value) as opposed to completely different 16-byte values. If it is possible to measure this time difference you could change the first stored byte (up to 256 times) until it takes this fraction longer for the Xbox360 to detect the (16 byte) values are not entirely the same. And you can go on with this until all bytes have been figured out this way.
In other words: When the Xbox boots up the dashboard, the uber SHA1-HMAC key from Microsoft is used for decrypting the kernel for the Xbox360 dashboard. A hash is used between the SHA1-HMAC key and the kernel to check if the data still is intact. The hash compares bytes between the cpu-key and the SHA1-HMAC key. Microsoft used memcmp to compare the bytes. But when memcmp compares the bytes, and the value that’s stored is wrong it will take a few milliseconds longer to continue depending on the first incorrect byte. This way it is possible to try out all the different combinations. This is 256 different combinations for each byte, so this will make 256 combinations times 16 bytes, reducing the possible values that need to be checked from 2 to the power 128 (a number with over 40 digits) possibilities to about 4000 worst case. After you successfully extracted the key, it’s possible to sign and old dashboard update with the extracted values and this way it’s possible to downgrade to an older dashboard.
It’s important to note that the Xbox 360 core security is still intact, so for example it’s still not possible to boot up copied games from the hard drive. The only interesting part about this hack is that they found a way to downgrade again to the old vulnerable dashboard, allowing them to explore other ways to get in control more structurally. The Xbox 360 hackers still have a long way to go, to get the same functionality found in hacked Xbox 1s. Microsoft will probably publish a patch in the coming weeks for fixing this security issue, until then we’ve got approximately 10 million vulnerable Xbox 360s in the world.
Wii Are The Champions
Stats? Wee! We all love stats don’t we? After all, don’t stats make games more fun?
If your line of thinking is just that, then the latest statistics from VG Chartz will have you believe the Wii is the most fun console on the market in years.
“Vgchartz.com data, which is based on sample data from retailers all over the world indicates that the week ending August 23rd Nintendo’s Wii (which was released one year after the Xbox 360 in November 2006), currently standing at 10.57 million consoles sold, passed Xbox 360 lifetime sales of 10.51 million units, making Nintendo the new market leader in both the home and handheld videogame console businesses.”
You see, VG Chartz takes pride in their statistical gathering. They claim their statistics are more accurate than the big three; accusing them of always including boxes sitting on the store shelves as part of their sales figures. Like…Duh!
“As weekly data from vgchartz.com shows(**), the console outsold Microsoft’s Xbox 360 by a margin of 2.3 : 1 worldwide on average each week since its release, selling at an even faster rate than the most successful console ever created, Sony’s Playstation 2, despite still being sold out in most major markets.”
“Speed of lightning, roar of thunder. Fighting all who rob or plunder. Underdog! Underdog!”
“This is the first time that a company has been market leader in the home console and the handheld market since 1994 when Nintendo’s Super NES and Gameboy dominated worldwide.”
Nostalgia FTW!
OK. Sarcasm aside, this bit of news isn’t really all that surprising. We pretty much knew the Wii was selling strong due to its “flying off the shelf” factor earlier this year. But, do these statistics really mean anything to the consumer? Or is it just magnificent fanboy rocket fuel?
Regardless, I think it’s great to see Nintendo doing successful. It’s always fun to root for the underdog, no? But truth be told, all three major console makers are doing well right now. I think the important thing to draw from these statistics is that the console & gaming industry are kicking butt and taking names. I could care less who is beating who. As long as console sales are bringing more fun into more households, then it’s contributing to that one big statistic known as Win. Good times ahead…
BioShock wet, wild & wonderful
BioShock, Xbox 360, 2K Games/Irrational Games. Rated M, MSRP $69.99.
WHILE RECENTLY DISCUSSING BioShock with some gaming friends of mine, an interesting word made more than one appearance in our
dialogue: "perfect".
That’s not a term I like throwing around when it comes to reviewing games.
The inability for words like that to accurately summarize my feelings on a title is one of the reasons I eschewed a numerical rating system in the first place.
Can you call a game perfect and still feel the same way about it five years down the road? Or five months? Or even five days?
I’m not sure if there’s such a thing as a perfect video game, but this much I do know: BioShock is as close to earning this distinction as any other game I’ve played so far this year.
On the surface, it appears to be just like any other FPS you’ve spent time with.
There’s a plane crash, you survive, but you find yourself in a strange underwater city with a heavy dystopian vibe and some seriously angry citizens.
But it doesn’t take long for BioShock to start weaving its spell.
Rapture, the aforementioned metropolis, has an amazing art deco style that leaps to life unlike any other game setting in recent memory.
Faded posters, sweeping architecture and eye-popping aquatic panoramas are deftly contrasted against the bleakness of perpetual fear and horrific acts of violence.
It’s an amazing tapestry of lush cinematics and jarring, unforgettable encounters. But it never crosses the line into gratuity, showing remarkable pace and poise as it lays out the table for gamers.
As if the stunning art direction wasn’t enough of a main course, BioShock reinforces the wow-factor with something else you don’t find everyday in a video-game: a truly scintillating story.
Often the last thing frame-rate obsessed developers care about, a stirring narrative can make a bad game tolerable and a good game great.
It’s a slow burn and chances are that action junkies won’t have the patience to get to the really meaty parts of this dark and often warped tale.
But for most, BioShock’s steady diet of mysterious plot points and satisfying payoffs will make it hard to put the controller down.
Speaking of controls, there’s some slick game mechanics at work here as well.
The various actions and commands are laid out where FPS veterans will have little trouble finding them and the response and turning times seems perfectly in synch with the on-screen mood.
Switching through the host of Plasmids, tonics and weapons you collect during your trip is smooth and even the auto-aim is respectful in the amount it helps, so as not to deaden the experience.
And as I once quipped about my girlfriend, BioShock’s got all this and great looks too.
The press release from 2K Games claims that BioShock has the "most detailed and realistic water effects ever developed in a video game", and there’s little evidence to suggest this is anything but the truth.
It’s not quite the technical leap forward that Gears of War was, but it’s definitely a game that dazzles on a standard television and will blow you away in glorious HD.
Sound work is usually one of those talking points I mention before I get into what’s wrong with a game, but in this case there’s cause for cheer.
From the dank, eerie ambient noises to the satisfying clunks and echoes of combat to the exceedingly exceptional voice acting, BioShock boasts an incredible aural experience.
You only notice sound quality like this when it’s done utterly wrong or absolutely right. In this instance, it’s most definitely the latter.
Now, right on schedule, it’s time for what’s wrong with this title.
It’s hard to point out flaws in this masterwork without sounding like a nitpicker, but one fairly obvious one is the lack of genuine penalty for dying.
Upon joining the choir invisible, players will emerge from one of the many Vita-Chambers littered about Rapture with replenished attributes.
Enemies aren’t quite so robust, so that monstrous Big Daddy you dented earlier with your wrench will still have that dent when you return to avenge your recent dispatching.
It’s not exactly an exploit, but once you’re aware of the system it does take a lot of the deterrent out of full-on suicide attacks.
Also, there’s no multiplayer mode, which is bound to annoy some gamers out there.
I’m always happy to see a game focus on its primary mode instead of diverting resources for a needless online experience, but people hoping to use BioShock to frag all their buddies will undoubtedly disagree.
And the Mature ESRB rating is definitely warranted here.
Besides the many instances of gruesome violence, there’s a palpable dark and sinister tone running through the entire game. So resist the urge to rent this for your kids, if you can.
BioShock had a lot of hype to live up to upon its release, and yet it somehow found a way to meet, if not entirely surpass even the loftiest expectations.
From its unrivalled art direction to its gloriously rendered visuals and sound work, all the way through the engrossing tale that underpins the entire affair, this is a true high-water mark in terms of video gaming.
A critical masterpiece in every sense of the term and an essential gaming experience for all Xbox 360 owners.
Upside: A triumph of art, sound, story and gameplay. Nearly flawless.
Downside: Maybe a little too easy, unsuitable for kids.
Bottom Line: A must-play title, no questions asked.