« Igniq.com Gaming News - Bookmark this site Advertisements  Check out this video of a bunch of Counter-Strike fans re-enacting the game - it's worth it for the woeful lip-synch alone, but one of them acting like he has a bad connection comes a close second.Reallife Counterstrike via Boingboing Discussion >>  Though it's likely a hoax, a forum member at the Moz la Punk gaming site has posted some new images which show a helmet for the Nintendo Revolution, one of the main features of the Nintendo ON video that made the rounds before the E3: All we know is a certain Mephisto clames he has received some information about the Nintendo Revolution and one of it's control methods/visualisations: a helmet. Mephesto posted these pics on our message boards[...] Apparently he's a developer and this check he's holding is a non-disclosure statement that he had to send back to Nintendo to not leak things out. Nintendo ON video (14 May) Miyamoto: Nintendo Revolution Controller Still Being Designed Nintendo Officially Unveil Revolution in Japan Nintendo Squash 221 Free Revolution Games Rumour Miyamoto: PS3 and X360 "Just shiny computer graphics" Discussion >>  Ubisoft have confirmed to Eurogamer that the only console version of Far Cry currently planned is the Xbox version, titled Far Cry Instincts and due for release on 22 September.Ubisoft did not rule out versions for other platforms in the future however, and said that there was a "very big possibility" of a Playstation 2 version: Eurogamer.net: Far Cry for Xbox only Related: New Far Cry Instincts Movie Official Far Cry Instincts site Crytek.com - developers Far Cry Goes 64-Bit, Will You? Discussion >>  Gamesradar reports that a UMD dumper has been released that allows PSP users to move data from inserted UMD discs to the console's memory sticks.Hackers recently figured out how to rip PSP games from UMD to the ISO format for download from the web, where a number are now readily available - the one obstacle left for hackers is a way to run the files from the memory sticks. Gamesradar speculate that a utility to do this is just days away and could spark a "PSP file-sharing revolution", but a leading developer of homebrew games for the Playstation platform has pointed out that this will be a monumental task for hackers, and even if it's successful, would only open up piracy for a very small percentage of PSP's that were released in Japan: "Even if you put the UMD game on the memory stick," Gilbert added, "that binary is not only encrypted, but also programmed to load from the UMD. So obviously, it's not going to boot from the memory stick." PSP Trademark May Delay European Release? (6 June) PSP let loose for 200 Bucks, non-value edition? Piracy Comes to Nintendo DS Discussion >>  Ahead of the launch of their tournament on 1 July that will see a player walk away with a $1 million prize, Planetwide Games have released a new batch of screenshots for Risk Your Life: Path of The Emperor. View the screenshots here. Related: Planetwide Games RYL.net RYL Sponsors MTV Movie Awards Event (6 June) Risk Your Life: Path of The Emperor review (4 out of 5) Discussion >>  According to mobhunter.com, Sony Online Entertainment have revealed details on the next expansion for Everquest at the annual SOE Fan Faire:The next expansion is called Depths of Darkhollow. It appears to be an underdark-ish expansion but details will be thicker during the official announcement on Saturday. The devs seem very excited about it and give the impression that they plan to take it in a new direction. One unattributed quote: "No other MMORPG has done this yet". Sony also plan to release the tutorial for the game, that will let players get a taste of the game without the need for a credit card:SOE plans to release the tutorial, a level 1 to 10 instanced zone with a variety of quests and missions, will be released in a single stand-alone format, both on CD and download. New players can sign up for a station account and play the tutorial on a special server known as "escape". New players can play up to level 10 without having to put in a credit card. The tutorial has all new artwork, mostly from DON but some unique models such as the Kobolds. This lets player get a good taste of EQ without having to commit anything more than download time. This whole package will be known as 'Escape to Norrath'. SOE Fan Faire Everquest.com Discussion >>  Having already created the world's largest working NES controller, G4TV's Attack of The Show has managed to put together one that's smaller than a quarter; they've also posted up a detailed HOW-TO article for Nintendo fans to make their own:We’re back with another old-school mod and this time bigger is not always better: To complement our World's Biggest NES Controller, we decided to make the World's Smallest NES Controller. This little project (pun intended) is pretty easy to do; however, it will require a new skill: PCB (Printed Circuit Board) creation Related: Giant NES Controller NES Controller Belt Buckle Haunted NES Discussion >>  Talk about a disaster waiting to happen - someone has decided to take Konami's Dance Dance Revolution to the next level with a version that shoots players in the face with flamethrowers when they perform poorly:What is DDI?  Causing a major new headache for Nintendo, widespread piracy of DS games is now possible.Specialized flash memory cards have been made available that allow users to easily download and play illegal copies of top games for the console: Numerous games, such as Nintendogs and Super Mario 64 DS have now been illegally leaked on to the internet, with players able to download and play them via specially designed flash memory cards (pictured on the right). DS Cracked. Cards and Writers available, ROMS Proliferate PIRATES CRACK THE DS CODE IN A FLASH DS Hacked Discussion >>  Looks like Microsoft finally got their way in Hollywood. Among others, Kotaku reports that Microsoft is about to conclude a deal with Universal and Fox to produce a movie based on the highly successful Halo series. Negotiations with other studios failed because of high production costs and Microsoft's fussy control policy. Universal and Fox may now share production costs equally, with Universal likely to assume distribution in the US and Fox for the rest of the world.Related info: Microsoft Go All Out With Halo Movie Script (8 June) Discussion >>  The next-gen console wars continue (where's that popcorn). Sony Computer Entertainment Boss, Ken Kutaragi has has once again hit out at the competition. This time Microsoft was on the receiving end. In an interview with Watch Impress, Kutaragi confirmed Sony's commitment to making the PS3 a console for grown-ups. Other companies may talk of game machines, but we've always referred to 'computer entertainment,' even in our press materials. It's entertainment and also a computer. That's what's important. In a bold statement, the Sony heavyweight claimed Microsoft is still playing catch-up with Sony and are after the Playstation 2 in terms of innovation, rather then gunning for ground with the PS3.This time, Microsoft has stated clearly that it is going after PlayStation. However, they're going not after the PlayStation 3, but the PlayStation 2. They were looking at 2, and that's why [Xbox 360] became like that. Add-on PS3 harddrive to run Linux Real-Time PS3 Demos Before End of June? Nvidia unveiling next-gen GPU June 21 Playable PS3 at This Year's Tokyo Games Show Miyamoto: PS3 and X360 "Just shiny computer graphics" Sony unload 90 million PS2 units since launch Discussion >>  Gamespy has posted up a fresh batch of Vietcong 2 screenshots, including some concept art and weapons screens. The game itself is slated for release in late 2005 and will feature an entirely new graphics engine to that of the original. Vietcong 2 is a FPS set against the background of the 1968 Tet Offensive, in and around the ancient city of Hue during the Vietnam War. Brought to life through a gritty story compiled from first hand accounts and memories of Special Forces and Infantry servicemen stationed in Hue during the assault. 2K Games Vietcong 2 Website Discussion >>  Trinigy GmbH has announced support for the Xbox 360. Trinity GmbH are responsible for the Vision Game Engine (which can be credited for rendering the image to the right).Trinigy has said that future versions of it's next-gen rendering engine will fully support Microsoft's Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft version of the Vision engine is the first of the new platform versions that Trinigy will release in the scope of its next generation strategy. Since the company has been able to obtain an Xbox 360 development kit at an early stage, the engine version for the new game console is already fairly advanced. The universal design and the comprehensive set of platform-specific features and optimisations makes the Next-Gen version of Vision an ideal platform for Xbox 360 developers, explains Trinigy's managing director Dag Frommhold. Vision allows developers to easily utilise the impressive performance and feature set of Microsoft's nextgeneration game platform while at the same time saving development time and money. Seagate announce LD25 HDD for Xbox 360 Add-on PS3 harddrive to run Linux Super Xbox Modders Charged Microsoft Anticipate Xbox 360 Shortages Downloadable Titles on Xbox 360 Microsoft subsidize 360, focus on game sales Fonix To Provide XBox 360 Voice Recognition Xbox father and son reunite for the Family Photo Discussion >>  Some plucky youngster on a school trip to JoWood's Austrian headquarters in Rottenmann captured footage of the still in development Stargate game.Armed with nothing more than a small video camera and some moxy, the kid managed to capture some in-game footage. Download it out from this forum | Via Kotaku Discussion >>  EA has confirmed it will be dealing with Gamespot exclusively when the Battlefield 2 demo is ready for deployment. The game is due for release to PC on the 21st of this month but Gamespot will be the only place you can initially get your hands on the demo to see what all this hype was about. Don't worry though if you don't have membership as the demo will be available to members and non-members alike. Update: Download mirrors and torrent here The demo will feature three variations of the Gulf of Oman map from Battlefield 2, which is set in a near-future conflict between three clashing powers: The United States, China, and the fictional Middle Eastern Coalition (MEC). The single-player, 16-player, and 32-player versions of the map included in the demo will pit the US against the MEC in time-limit-based combat. (China is not playable in the demo.) Related:Battlefield 2 demo, details leaked Battlefield 2 Gold, on course for June 21st release Battlefield 2 Q&A with EA's Ben Smith Rumour: Battlefield 2 Demo in mid-June Battlefield 2: Modern Combat Announced For PSP Battlefield 2: Preview Battlefield: Modern Combat Details Emerge Battlefield 2 engine demonstration Official website Discussion >>  Harddrive giant Seagate has announced support to make Xbox 360 harddrives for gaming and home-entertainment. Their newly designed LD25 2.5" discs are to be used as the removable drives for the console.Seagate describe the new harddrives as specifically designed for use in game systems, home entertainment devices and small form factor PCs. The LD25's will come in different variations, 20 Gb, 40 Gb and 80Gb. The default size the 360 will ship with is 20 Gb. The hard drive extends the gaming experience on Xbox 360," explained Microsoft's corporate VP of Xbox hardware, Todd Holmdahl. "From downloading trailers, new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, and more to supporting custom playlists in every game and storing video messages from friends, Seagate's LD25 Series 2.5-inch hard drive brings gaming and digital media together for the ultimate entertainment experience. Add-on PS3 harddrive to run Linux Super Xbox Modders Charged Microsoft Anticipate Xbox 360 Shortages Downloadable Titles on Xbox 360 Microsoft subsidize 360, focus on game sales Fonix To Provide XBox 360 Voice Recognition Xbox father and son reunite for the Family Photo Discussion >>  Ken Kutaragi, in an interview with Impress PC Watch has revealed the PS3 will not ship with a HDD, rather it will be purchased as an add-on. Also to make sure people believed Sony when they said the PS3 is not a gaming machine, Kutaragi plans to install Linux on the harddrive in fact, he envisions other operating systems running on the PS3's CPU. We're not going to equip [the PS3 with] a HDD by default, because no matter how much [capacity] we put in it, it won't be enough. Although he did hint at different bundles of the PS3 at launch, one with a HDD and one without.Further comments seemed to indicate that there will be more than one model of optional add-on PS3 HDDs available at launch. "We've added a 2.5-inch HDD bay so that users can equip HDDs, such as 80GB and 120GB, even though that's still not enough [capacity]." By contrast, the Xbox 360 will ship with a 20GB hard drive, standard. No other 360 HDD models have been announced, although Microsoft officials have indicated larger-capacity models could be produced if needed. Real-Time PS3 Demos Before End of June? Nvidia unveiling next-gen GPU June 21 Playable PS3 at This Year's Tokyo Games Show Miyamoto: PS3 and X360 "Just shiny computer graphics" Sony unload 90 million PS2 units since launch Discussion >>  A lucky fan could be in with a chance to get their likeness immortalised forever in Black & White 2. Lionhead are running a new contest, the prize of which will be your likeness used as one of the Greek villagers in the game; all that's required is proof that you're the most excited about the upcoming release of Black & White 2: What do you have to do in order to win? Black & White 2 official site Black & White 2 screenshots Black & White 2 official trailer Black & White Series To Have 5 Installments Discussion >>  Blizzard have introduced the first two PvP battlegrounds for World of Warcraft in a major patch for the game.The patch downloads automatically when players log into WoW, and includes two new areas, Alterac Valley and Warsong Gulch. Alterac Valley is designed for more experienced players, while Warsong Gulch will cater for all players of level 21 and up. Blizzard also promise more Battlegrounds will be available for testing in the months ahead. In their press release, Blizzard give an idea of how significant the introduction of Battlegrounds is: “While World of Warcraft has been expanding with new content regularly since launch, the PvP Battlegrounds represent the single biggest update to the game yet,” stated Mike Morhaime, president and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re excited that players can now experience Horde-vs.-Alliance combat as it was meant to be, and we’re looking forward to adding even more Battlegrounds to the game with future updates.” Eurogamer.net: New WoW battlefields WorldofWarcraft.com Battlegrounds section Blizzard Entertainment World of Warcraft Now Launched in China (7 June) Viral Videos: Leeroy Jenkins WoW Discussion >>  Sony has reportedly given the all clear to a couple of Japanese publishers of adult videos to create new content for their PSP. The 2 films mentioned will feature Big-Breasted Nurse Mitsu Amai; Anna Kaneshiro in High-Class Soap Mistress and Lolita Pick-Up Special 5. The 2 pornos will debut next month with prices ranging from 1,925 to 3,800 yen ($18 to $35)Since the PSP's Japanese launch last December, about 15 UMD videos have been released, with content ranging from feature films like Spider-Man 2 to music videos and episodes of animation. Over the next two months, the release schedule (in Japanese) will ramp up considerably, with episodes from the giant-robot animation series Gundam as well as feature films like Kung Fu Hustle and Starsky and Hutch. Related: PSP's UMD on the offensive Make Your Own PSP Docking Station Tons of Movies Coming to PSP PSP Hacks and Mods List PSPMag Discussion >>  Academy Award winner and Tomb Raider star Angelina Jolie has pledged to campaign with Bob Geldof on behalf of Live 8 to eliminate Third World Debt and rewrite the trade laws. Jolie, who is also ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, is to help Geldof rally up support.A colleague of Jolie's insists that she is not just putting her looks to the campaign but is contemplating stepping away from Hollywood and films to help Geldof convince leaders from the industrialized nations to back them. Angelina won't just be putting her name to Live 8, she's also agreed to sacrifice a considerable amount of time for us, which is pretty much unheard of for a Hollywood star. She's been talking for some time about taking a break from films and we're delighted to be the ones to benefit from it.  Wonderland links to a nifty-sounding new expansion for MMORPG The Saga of Ryzom that will let users create their own maps and plug them directly into the games' world:The Ryzom Ring is a set of tools for editing and sharing player-made “maps” that are customizable with terrain, monsters and NPCs all run by individual players. Maps can be integrated directly into The Saga of Ryzom world of Atys, where thousands of other players can experience one person’s handiwork, or kept as a private sanctuary only accessible to a select few. Maps can be made exclusive to player guilds or select friends while running their own invasions or events. Ryzom Ring 14-day free trial of Saga of Ryzom Nevrax - developers Discussion >>  A new techno tune based on the original Super Mario Brothers music is racing up the Japanese charts. Surfacing 12 weeks ago, the wild-card entry is now at a healthy No.4 spot."B-Dash" uses samples from the classic Super Mario Brothers game from 1985, then takes the samples and mashes them up with a mix of techno and humorous lyrics. The song was conceived by the arethe Tongari Kids, a Japanese techno band consisting of three members. "B-Dash" first appeared in 36th place in Japan's music chart for the week of March 28. Despite the fact that songs usually slip in the charts after their initial appearance, "B-Dash" became a national hit after it aired on FM radio, and its popularity was further strengthened after it appeared on TV. The song has continued to stay in the top-10 rankings for the past month; last week, it ranked in sixth place. "B-Dash" has sold a total of 196,000 CD singles in Japan to date. Super Mario Brothers, A Cappella Troupe Mario Brothers Commercial From 1983 Discussion >> Final Fantasy XI producer Hiromichi Tanaka has revealed his development team are working on a new massively multiplayer online game for next-generation consoles. Tanaka didn't reveal a title for the MMORPG, or whether it would be a successor to Final Fantasy XI or a new product. On the subject of FFXI, he revealed the Xbox 360 version will be released as a beta when the console launches this year and will include graphics of similar quality to the PC version. He also mentioned a possible Playstation 3 version, though this would depend on Sony's choice of hard drive for the console: Final Fantasy XI team working on new next-gen MMORPG Final Fantasy XI Xbox 360 and a possible PS3 version discussed Related: FINAL FANTASY® XI COMING TO XBOX 360 (16 May) Discussion >>  2 classic PlayStation titles are reportedly heading for Sony's PSP this Summer, according to Japanese retailers. The first 3D Mega Man title, Mega Man Legends and Breath of Fire III will both be available by August 25th. The only downside is that the titles are initially to be released in Japan only with no word of an international release just yet.Another thing we don't know - don't you love these news stories which are all about the things we don't know? - is whether Capcom is going to launch the games at full price, or if it plans to take fewer Yen from its customers' grubby paws in recognition of the fact that the titles are getting on a bit. PSP's UMD on the offensive Make Your Own PSP Docking Station Tons of Movies Coming to PSP PSP Hacks and Mods List PSPMag Discussion >>  Another official movie for the Xbox version of Far Cry has been made available.Far Cry Instincts is due to be released this September, and will include brand-new scenarios not seen in the classic PC version. Download the new 2-minute movie here (51 MB). Related: Official Far Cry Instincts site Crytek.com - developers Far Cry Goes 64-Bit, Will You? Far Cry Prologue - The Project Video Discussion >>  Majesco's $1 million promotion for Advent Rising is due to get underway later today (5pm EST, 1am GMT). For six weeks, Majesco will be hiding Easter Eggs inside Advent Rising levels; hawk-eyed gamers who discover the eggs (small icons marked with an "A") will be rewarded with various prizes, including large cash amounts, Xbox Live subscription cards, strategy guides, Xbox controllers and a selection of SoBe items.The contest will culminate with the giveaway of $1 million dollars to a lucky player. The requirements to participate are a copy of Advent Rising, an Xbox and a valid Xbox Live account. For more information on the prizes and how to play, check the official site here. Related: Gamespot: Advent Rising Xbox contest begins tomorrow (8 June) Advent Rising F.A.Q. Discussion >>  Nintendo officially unveiled its Revolution console for the first time to the Japanese press yesterday. Despite the move though, not a lot came out that was not already known. Still no release date, no price on the console or games. They did reiterate however that the downloading of classic Nintendo titles will not be free, as was previously rumoured.Iwata did confirm what was already expected, that all GameCube peripherals will be compatible with the Revolution. A little disappointing not to hear more but Nintendo say they will be bringing the curtains down before the year's end, so watch this space. According to Cube IGN, the Revolution will sport about 512MB of free internal flash memory that gamers can use to store data like game saves, console firmware, and downloadable games and demos (those sound like some small demos). Should the 512MB prove insufficient, additional storage is made possible thanks to Secure Digital memory card media support. Data stored on the removable SD cards can also be transferred onto your computer for... something useful, we assume. Perhaps the converse functionality is true as well. Anti-piracy measures will be put into effect to prevent unauthorized distribution of Revolution files through the PC and internet, but no concrete details were released regarding this. Nintendo Revolution Controller Still Being Designed Nintendo Squash 221 Free Revolution Games Rumour Miyamoto: PS3 and X360 "Just shiny computer graphics" Touchscreen Tech Sparks Another Revolution Rumour (26 May) Discussion >>  The winners of the E3 Game Critics Awards have been announced after the event was broadcast on Spike TV.Will Wright's Spore was the biggest winner, scooping awards in four categories, including the "Best of Show" award. Here's what the critics had to say about giving the game the top award: Spore Related: 2005 E3 Game Critics Awards Winners Announced Slashdot | E3 Critics Award Winners Spore website Will Wright's Unveiling of Spore Video Joystiq: Will Wright Can Do No Evil Will Wright's Spore coming to Xbox 360, says Ballmer? Discussion >>  6 new screenshots have been posted of From Russia with Love, the upcoming Bond game from EA that was showcased earlier at E3. The game features the voice of Bond legend Sean Connery and is based around the classic 1963 movie of the same name. A release date for From Russia with Love has yet to be set, but some online retailers are already listing the game for pre-order with expected shipping dates, some as early as the 1st of November but nothing concrete to go on on just yet. Check out the 6 screenshots here Related: Official website Discussion >>  According to recent reports, Capcom's survival horror Resident Evil 4 has sold more than 500,000 copies in the US and Canada since its release in January. Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero are the top selling titles on Nintendo's GameCube, with combined North American sales of over 1.5 million.With Resident Evil 4, the series and the entire survival horror genre have been advanced to a whole new level. It's been rewarding to see that the incredible response the game has received from fans and critics has been mirrored by a phenomenal retail performance. Official website Discussion >>  The Panovation website, which has had Sega fans buzzing over a possible Sonic MMORPG, has been updated.According to a new article explaining Panovation's projects, they reveal that they are a gaming company that was approved by Sega to create a Sonic Community and international shopping center, who have since "taken it to the extra mile" and will be producing a Sonic ORPG. They claim the game is due for release as a beta towards the end of this year, and the article gives scant other details aside from saying the storyline is very deep. Despite Sega officially denying any involvement in an online Sonic game, Panovation also say that Sega is part-owner of the project: Please stop e-mailing Sega about this project. They may own part of the project but that doesn’t mean thousands of people should bother them about it. Everything will be made clear very soon, and it is how it seems to be. Related: Cryptic Site Hints at Online Sonic Game Panovation teaser image Interview with Panovation Studios (And SONIC MMO!) Discussion >>  Waxy.org links to a free do-it-yourself MMORPG kit that lets users create their own games through a web interface:phpMMORPG is a Web interface that can be used to create an MMORPG with a back-end which permits users of the interface to create their own games. It features real-time chat, a map editor, a template system, a quest box, PVP, PVE, a loot system, and other functions. Except for the use of “marquee", it uses 100% XHTML 1.0. A Web interface that can be used to create an MMORPG Wonderland: DIY MMORPG Discussion >>  Qui Chengwei stabbed fellow gamer Zhu Caoyuan in the chest after finding out Caoyuan had sold his virtual sword for 7,200 Yuan. The sword at the centre of the murder case was won in the popular online game Legend of Mir 3.China at present has no law that protects virtual property, so all hopes of resolving the matter peacefully were quickly dashed. The suspended sentence given to Qui means he could spend the rest of his life behind bars, although it could be reduced to 15 years for good behaviour. Following the case, associate law professor at Beijing's Renmin University of China said that such weapons should be deemed as private property because players "have to spend time and money for them". Dispute Over Virtual Sword Ends In Death Boy falls 24 stories to his death, to join friends in Heaven Discussion >> |
