« Igniq.com Gaming News - Bookmark this site Advertisements  Everyone's favourite trashtalkin' Sony boss Ken Kutaragi has been called a "marketing genius" in an interesting post on the official Playstation forum. The writer explains Kutaragi's new status by pointing out an old strategy Sony are repeating by including the Blu-ray disc drive in the Playstation 3.The high price of the PS3 is daunting many people even before the console is released, but it is given perspective when compared with the current price of a standalone Blu-ray drive - which starts at in or around $2,000. With Sony's backing, the format has a big chance of becoming the standard in the next few years; Kutaragi's stroke of "genius" is that people will look at the PS3 and see a cut-price high-definition drive, much like the PS2 was seen as the cheapest DVD player you could buy when it was released. The post serves as a good intro to the whole world of high-def TV as well as heaping praise on our buddy Kutaragi, read the full thing below. It makes all sense now. Ken Kutaragi is a genius via The Console Wars Related: Kutaragi Justifies Expensive PS3 Kutaragi rounds up PS3 features, pricing still unclear More Kutaragi banter on PS3 pricing Kutaragi reiterates PS3 as a 'computer' I like Ken Kutaragi The Kraziness of Ken Kutaragi Kutaragi on PS3 backwards compatibility, more 360 attacks (14 June) PS3 Not a Toy, But a Linux Supercomputer Sony's Kutaragi: MS playing catch up with PS2? (10 June) Kutaragi: Microsoft Still Not a Blackbelt (2 June) Ken Kutaragi: PS3 An "Entertainment Supercomputer" (25 May) "Father of PlayStation" Ken Kutaragi (5 April) Discussion >>  Cubed3.com has some more Revolution rumours to stir us up ahead of Nintendo actually saying something themselves. According to an anonymous tipster, the Revolution's controller will use technology that is currently on the market, and that's why the company have kept it heavily under wraps, fearing that Sony or Microsoft would nab their ideas if they were to reveal it too early: Apparently it will use technology that is already on the market, but a clever re-working of the idea. The revolution is to come in the way this is implemented, taking the idea of the DS and expanding upon it greatly. He tells gamers to think along the lines of turning a TV into a large touch-screen in a similar way to how Duck Hunt used to work! Then mix in the idea of gyroscopes and apparently we will all be shocked. Check out the article and new images Related: Sega boss talks Revolution Revolution images nothing more than trickery Nintendo Revolution Tech Demo Screens? Another Nintendo Revolution Pic Hits the Web Revolution Controller "Big Gun" Hidden From Devs? EA snub Revolution? Nintendo Revolution "Deepthroat" Dropping Hints? Wireless Router For Nintendo Revolution, DS? Revolution To Be Much Cheaper than Xbox 360, PS3 Discussion >>  **Updated Below**Engadget has been emailed an explanation on how to get homebrew code running on the PSP 2.0 firmware. It looks like Sony missed something fairly obvious when they tried to shore up the security holes; the method involves simply putting the unofficial code into a folder called Update. The console is fooled into thinking you're updating the PSP and allows you to run the code. Head over to Engadget for the full instructions: this will not update you psp this is for 2.00 version psp only. The 2.00 psp will only read the file UPDATE as not corrupt any other file name in the game folder will read as corrupt. That is why the folder is named UPDATE and the security of the 2.00 psp will only read updates. and the updates have to be higher then 2.00 so that is why it reads as psp version update 2.10 which is fake. This will not update your psp. This is only for 2.00 psp. I’m not responsible for your psp breaking. this is not a update and is only for 2.00 pspa update to not be corrupt. I also have a video of this working in the video you can see me filming with my bad digital camera showing you the version 2.00 the wallpaper function and the web browser the me going to the game file and running the homebrew New PSP Browser Reviewed New PSP Update "Tough Cookie To Crack" (28 July) PSPouch for PSP McRae and TOCA join PSP launch PSP Hacks and Mods List Discussion >>  Vivendi have announced the demo for F.E.A.R. is available to download now. The single-player demo includes one level to give a taste of the game before it's released this October.Also announced were the final system specs that will be required to play; a 1.7 GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 64 MB GeForce 4 Ti or ATI Radeon 9600 or equivalent are minimum requirements. To play as the game is intended, a 3.0GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and a 256 Radeon 9800 Pro or equivalent are recommended. Download the demo (662MB) - View the full list of specs Related: WhatisFear.com F.E.A.R. Beta Slots Up For Grabs Vivendi pushes F.E.A.R. release forward? (23 June) F.E.A.R. Hands-on F.E.A.R. among CNN's six games to watch this Christmas Discussion >>  Highly-placed sources in the U.K. games industry have told the respected Gamesindustry.biz that the Xbox 360 will launch in Europe on the 25th of November, with the U.S. launch a few days earlier.Microsoft are expected to make the official announcement at the German Games Convention in Leipzig on the 17th of this month. The sources also say that Microsoft are not 100% certain on the price of the console at this stage, and recent comments by Ken Kutaragi that the rival PS3 will be "expensive" may sway the company to raise their price. While no concrete price was mentioned by the sources, they said a whopping £299 Sterling (about €430, $530) was "looking more likely" after Sony's recent announcements: "The original plan was UKP 249, but now that Sony is talking about the PS3 being expensive, UKP 299 is looking more likely," according to one source - although it was admitted that this pricing is a "best guess" based on information from Microsoft, not an official figure by any means. MS: PS3 Won't be Affordable in Normal Households Kutaragi Justifies Expensive PS3 PS3 most expensive console ever/Xbox 360 shortages? PS3 pricing speculation continues 'Win My E3 Faceplate contest' winners announced Leaked Xbox 360 Photos Xbox 360: $299, According to Wal-Mart Half Life 3 coming to Xbox 360? Attachable Keyboard for Xbox 360 Controller? Bill Gates Plays Up Xbox 360 Head-Start Designing the Xbox 360 User Interface PS2 Pricecut Trick for Xbox 360 Launch? Discussion >>  Microsoft have criticized Sony for planning on releasing the PS3 at a price that will be unaffordable in normal households, but recent remarks from Ken Kutaragi give some justification for the high price. The Sony boss explained that the PS3 will be packed with HDTV features from its very launch so that it will be able to live 10 years in the market, the reasoning being that consumers will get years out of the console before they need to buy something new: We're currently shifting from standard TVs to HD TVs. But in the next couple of years, most flat-panel TVs will be full HD. We're releasing the PS3 with full HD features from the start so that consumers won't have to buy another version of the console in the future. For the same reason, we're using Blu-ray as the PS3's disc format. MS: PS3 Won't be Affordable in Normal Households Bill Gates: Xbox 360, PS3 Both "Ferrari's" PS3, Linux or Tiger? PS3 pricing speculation continues Juicy PS3 Details in PSM Mag PS2 Pricecut Trick for Xbox 360 Launch? Discussion >>  It appears that Ridge Racer 6 will be one of the launch titles for the Xbox 360, at least according to Namco.They've sent out a release giving some details on the online aspect of the game, and state that the game "will be available for the Xbox 360 at launch in North America". The first inkling that RR6 would be a 360 launch title came with its listing for a Fall 2005 release on a recent list from Namco. The rest of the new press release explains that players will be able to compete in online races through Xbox Live, and that a world-wide leaderboard will be available that you can upload your personal scores to. Gamers will also be able to download content like new cars through Xbox Live, or download "ghost data" that lets you virtually race against your friends when they're not online. Related: Ridge Racer 6 for Xbox 360 Launch? Ridge Racer 6 screenshots Discussion >>  If playing the 40-odd Atari 2600 games pre-installed on the Flashback 2 just isn't nostalgic enough and you want to use the genuine old-school cartridges, a handy how-to is now available to do just that.With a few components and a lot of soldering, you can add a port that will accept the cartridges, though be warned that the "cosmetic" part of the article hasn't been completed yet and the port will look much like the image on the right when you're finished. It also goes without saying that you should read the disclaimer at the start of the article before you go hacking open your console. Hacking the Atari Flashback 2 Console - Cartridge Port Mod via Kotaku Related: Atari Flashback 2 To Include Activision, Homebrew Games Atari Flashback 2 (19 May GREAT GAMES NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE: ATARI FLASHBACK 2.0 ANNOUNCED (April '05) Original Atari Flashback console: Atari 7800 experience Discussion >>  Gamespot has a translation of a recent interview Microsoft's Peter Moore gave to Famitsu, in which he talked some Xbox 360.He reiterated the Microsoft strategy of expanding the games industry out to non-gamers with the Xbox 360; the company plan to appeal to a much wider market than the core of 18-34 year old males, and have a grand goal of reaching one billion customers with the console. In contrast, he said Sony's strategy seems to be to make gaming even more exclusive than it currently is by selling the Playstation 3 at a very high price, unaffordable in normal households: When asked how he felt about Sony Computer Entertainment and its PlayStation 3, Moore said that most consumers believe the Xbox 360 and PS3 to be similar in terms of their hardware and market strategy. However, Moore believes otherwise. He explained that Microsoft's main concern with the Xbox 360 is to expand the gaming industry's gamer population. After listening to SCE president Ken Kutaragi speak on the PS3, he believes that SCE is trying to push the industry into a different direction. Moore emphasized that the PS3's price won't be affordable to normal households. 'Win My E3 Faceplate contest' winners announced Leaked Xbox 360 Photos Xbox 360: $299, According to Wal-Mart Half Life 3 coming to Xbox 360? Attachable Keyboard for Xbox 360 Controller? Bill Gates Plays Up Xbox 360 Head-Start Designing the Xbox 360 User Interface PS2 Pricecut Trick for Xbox 360 Launch? Discussion >>  Another fascinating concept come to life, in the form of Nintendo pads turned musicians. Developed by a group calling themselves 'Recyclism', they have created a gadget that transforms regular retro Nes controllers into musical instruments.The project is called 'RES' (Recycling Entertainment System), and the controllers all plug into a black box which gives a person the ability to create some awesome sounds. You can check out four videos over in the project section of the Recyclism site. Following on from my previous post about the work of Recyclism (Benjamin Gaulon) and my previous posts about game controllers as instruments, I introduce you to The Res® (Recycling Entertainment System). 6 NES controllers, midi signals and Max/MSP allow players to jam together WoodCube - Super-Nintendo, Playstation and N64 (28 04 05) Nintendo Revolution images nothing more than trickery Nintendo Revolution Tech Demo Screens? Another Nintendo Revolution Pic Hits the Web Revolution Controller "Big Gun" Hidden From Devs? EA snub Revolution? Nintendo Revolution "Deepthroat" Dropping Hints? Discussion >>  More PS3 news coming in, a recent article on Sony's website confirmed a few key features, while remaining on the fence with others. The article reiterates Kutaragi's vision of a super-computer, of course the PS3 will be quite the capable games machine, but the article stresses certain 'PC' like features such as video and photo editing, which will be standard features on the next Playstation.Also, more hints that the PS3 may indeed run a Linux or Mac OS, as the article states Sony is still yet undecided on the operating system. The operating system has also yet to be clarified. The integrated Cell processor will be able to support a variety of operating systems (such as Linux or Apple's Tiger). PS3 pricing speculation continues Juicy PS3 Details in PSM Mag PS2 Pricecut Trick for Xbox 360 Launch? New PSP Browser Reviewed Another Nintendo Revolution Pic Hits the Web Revolution Controller "Big Gun" Hidden From Devs? EA snub Revolution? Attachable Keyboard for Xbox 360 Controller? Discussion >>  Over on the official Nintendo website, they have posted an interview conducted by Nintendo Power magazine with Simon Jeffrey, President of Sega. Jeffrey talks about old Sega classics and the possibility of porting some games over to the GamCube and indeed the Nintendo Revolution console. Not giving too much detail away, when asked about a possible joint venture with Nintendo and its next-gen console, the Sega boss said: Well, there's nothing that we can talk about at this point in time. But there's absolutely nothing to rule it out, either. (Wry smile) NP also delve into the continuing success of Sonic the hedgehog and ask Jeffrey why exactly has the speedy hedghod stood the test of time when so many others have fallen behind and sometimes even slipped out of peoples' minds altogether.It's classic character design. It's the same as the Looney Tunes characters or the Disney characters that were created back in the '40's and '50's. So much thought and process went into building Sonic originally back in those days. Many of the other characters that came out of the 16-bit era were created in very a reactionary way. Game companies saw how well Sonic was doing, saw how well Mario was doing, and then they all decided they have to have the cute, woodland critter game. There wasn't really a whole lot of thought process that went into creating those characters. Sonic has, as a franchise, been very, very scientifically and creatively evolved, really. And so each iteration of the Sonic franchise has had a lot of thought and care and attention and love put into it. So itÂs really about that. It's maintaining the integrity of the original character rather than just exploiting and diluting what Sonic is all about. Revolution images nothing more than trickery Nintendo Revolution Tech Demo Screens? Another Nintendo Revolution Pic Hits the Web Revolution Controller "Big Gun" Hidden From Devs? EA snub Revolution? Nintendo Revolution "Deepthroat" Dropping Hints? Wireless Router For Nintendo Revolution, DS? Revolution To Be Much Cheaper than Xbox 360, PS3 Discussion >>  Good old 1up.com examines the common cliches we as gamers are all too familiar with . Everything, from the predictable end boss, a damsel in distress, box or crate that you know is breakable.Exploding barrels steal the number one spot, while pushing crates out of the way comes up the rear in 2nd place with even bullet-time registering on the list. Has it been that long since bullet-time? Fans of tired old gaming conventions, rejoice! After nearly 200 issues of gaming goodness, we've noticed that the more things change, the more they stay the same. This month, we're talking big heads, big breasts, and big explosive barrels—oh my!—in our roundup of the the most tired gaming clichés (and even listing some surprise offenders). As always, bring your complaints to the EGM message boards.  Star Wars legend George Lucas recently made an appearance at the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group where he made a speech on the importance of AI in games. The producer stressed the importance of speech recognition in order to really draw gamers into a more immersive experience while gaming.to a point where you can talk to a game and it will talk back Lucas said.Hoping for a graduate degree in AI myself, I hope more people in the industry start to agree with him, so that I might have a nice video game job out of college. Personal bias aside, how would you rank the importance of AI in games today? How much more would like to see? Or, if none of those, what is your funniest experience with bad AI (i.e. a bot that ran straight into a corner and never left)? LucasArts to Showcase Star Wars Battlefront II at DigitalLife Event Lucas targets TV, live-action Star Wars series 'Star Wars' used to blast kidney tumours Discussion >>  It seems the Chinese government is going on an all out assault on so-called 'violent games'. Chinese gamers under the age 18 will no longer be able to play their favourite games online if it is possible to kill another player in the game. Under new plans announced by China's Ministry of Culture (MOC) and Ministry of Information Industry, online game operators have been ordered to create identity authentication systems that will prevent minors from playing games that contain so called 'Player Kills' (PK). Gamers will be forced to enter digits from their Citizen ID Card before being let into their games.Minors should not be allowed to play online games that have PK content, that allow players to increase the power of their own online game characters by killing other players," Liu Shifa, head of the MOC's Internet Culture Division, which drafts policies governing the online gaming market, told Interfax. "Online games that have PK content usually also contain acts of violence and leads to players spending too much time trying to increase the power of their characters. They are harmful to young people. 1.5 million people play WoW in China Discussion >>  THQ have confirmed that the endlessly-delayed S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl will not see a release until April 2006 at the earliest.The reason given for the delay is the busy period gameswise we'll see at the end of this year, and that the company want to give it the best chance possible to succeed by making sure there's "enough time in the oven for it". S.T.A.L.K.E.R in April 06 or later Related: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. website Oblivion-lost.com - #1 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Source No S.T.A.L.K.E.R. For 2005 (8 July) GSC Game World - developer THQ S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Live From Chernobyl Zone (1 June) Stalker dx9 trailer - The toughest enemy (16 May) 17 New S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl Movies (21 April) Discussion >>  Capcom have announced that the Playstation 2 version of the acclaimed Resident Evil 4 will hit the shelves in the U.S. on the 25th of October this year, with the European release slightly later on the 4th of November. Eurogamer reports that the game is "surprisingly close to the GameCube original", though some compromises were made; namely the texturing in the PS2 version will be slightly less rich than its GameCube counterpart, and the facial detail will also be slightly reduced. A wave of previews in print magazines is also expected for the last week of this month. Eurogamer: Resident Evil 4 PS2 dates set Related: Official Capcom site for Resident Evil 4 Official Resident Evil Portal More Resident Evil 5 Details Resident Evil 5 Trailer Hits The Web (21 July) Resident Evil 5 Announced for PS3, Xbox 360 (20 July) Original Resident Evil Coming To Nintendo DS? Two More Resident Evil Movies? (14 June) Resident Evil 4 Bowls Over Half-Million Mark (9 June) Discussion >>  A playable demo has been released for Dungeon Siege 2, the upcoming hack-and-slash RPG from Gas Powered Games.The demo includes a tutorial section up to the Elven Shrine area of the Mercenary campaign and some intro movies for the game. The file also comes in at a whopping 1.4 Gb so it will take some time to download. Gamingstation.com has some mirrors where the demo can be downloaded, and system reqs and other info are available on Worthplaying.com Related: Official site for Dungeon Siege II Gas Powered Games Dungeon Siege II Interview Liotta to star in Dungeon Seige movie Gas Powered Games Announce Supreme Commander (22 June) Discussion >>  Shacknews has two more high-res Quake IV screenshots to drool over as we wait for the game to be released. One shows two close-up character models, while the other shows a mechanised unit in battle. Check out the new screens here The game is being developed by Raven Software in co-operation with id Software, and is due to be released for PC and Xbox 360 later this year. Related: Teaser website for Quake IV Quake IV Trailer Raven Software id Software A Look At The Characters of Quake IV Will Quake 4 Run On Your Machine? Quake Coming to a Mobile Near You Quake 4: Storyline Details Emerge Discussion >>  Codemasters has announced that Colin McRae and TOCA, destined for the PSP, will now be joining a Long list of other games on the European release date for the Sony portable games console on September 1st.Colin McRae is set to keep the trend fans of the rally game have come to expect, retaining all previous features and even the ability to play up to 8 people wireless multiplayer races. TOCA will also be sporting wireless multiplayer support, while holding true all the features of the PS2 version. In TOCA you get to race a variety of vehicle classes including Open Wheel Grand Prix, Super Truck racing, Rally, Rallycross, Ice-Racing, Formula Ford, Classic Racing, Convertible racing, Street Racing, Stockcar Oval Racing, GT Racing, Performance Cars, DTM and V8 Supercars. You can compete in over 30 championships spanning the globe, from Chicago to Europe on 52 circuits, including Laguna Seca and Hockenheim. As with Colin McRae, you also get a sharable demo and wireless replay sharing. Unfortunately, neither Colin nor TOCA feature single-game-disc multiplayer. New PSP Browser Reviewed New PSP Update "Tough Cookie To Crack" Gamesindustry: Sony launches PSP web browser update (27 July) Sony unloads over 5 million PSPs worldwide Blizzard Planning Diablo, Starcraft for DS/PSP? Free Worldwide Shipping Offer For PSP, Nintendo DS Discussion >>  TimesOnline.co.uk recently scored an interview with the creator of Pacman, Toru Iwatani. They reminisce on the classic yellow hero who has stood the test of time, with his 25th birthday not long ago, Pacman is what gaming legends are made of.The original idea behind the game was inspired by a slice of pizza. Iwatani sits down and tells the whole story, starting exactly 26½ years ago when a 24-year-old Namco programmer strolled into a now demolished restaurant in central Tokyo, called Shakeys. It was here that he ordered the marguerita pizza that, with one slice removed, provided the visual inspiration for Pac-Man's famous profile. Pac-Man Guitar for the retro gamer/musician Pac-Man smashes Guinness Book of World Records Pac Man's 25th Birthday, And We Salute Him Discussion >>  EA has announced its 'Bond Girl' for the upcoming 'From Russia with Love' game. Pop star Natasha Bedingfield will be lending her voice and her likeness to the character 'Elizabeth Stark', daughter of the Prime Minister.The game is set in the original 60's Bond era featuring movie based missions as well as original action-intensive sequences, a broad and deep variety of gameplay and fully integrated vehicles," said Jon Rissik, Senior Marketing Director EA Europe. "Natasha Bedingfield is an exceptional British talent and was a natural choice for this part. The game will of course be starring none other than the original Bond from the film of the same name (Connery), plus Maria Menounos from Fantastic Four.You may remember they've done this before - squeezing a digital Kelly Brook into Need For Speed Underground 2. It is, of course, all about securing pre-release coverage in the mainstream press. And I've fallen right into their despicable trap. Related: From Russia With Love screens Official website Discussion >>  Playstation 3 pricing speculation has been thrown back into centre-field as recent comments from Nividia chief executive Jen-Hsun Huang stir up some talk, when the Nvidia heavyweight compared his firm's new approach to graphics card pricing to Sony's PS2 plans.Komical-Kutaragi has maintained a stance of 'the PS3 will be expensive' throughout E3 and beyond, suggesting he wants his next-gen console to be something people are willing to work overtime to afford. In a recent interview over at Beyond3d, Huang's response to questioning over pricing of Nvidia's new 7800 graphics card was: We need to price it at a level the enthusiasts will buy it at, that's the way that we think about pricing. NVIDIA boss on PS3 pricing plans Related: Juicy PS3 Details in PSM Mag PS2 Pricecut Trick for Xbox 360 Launch? New PSP Browser Reviewed Another Nintendo Revolution Pic Hits the Web Revolution Controller "Big Gun" Hidden From Devs? EA snub Revolution? Attachable Keyboard for Xbox 360 Controller? Discussion >>  Major Nelson has announced the winners of the Xbox 360 'Win My E3 Faceplate contest' competition recently held on his blog.Nelson and a group from the Xbox 360 design team were at hand to judge the 1,200 entries but alas, there can be only one and that is 'No Sleep' pictured above. The runner up was 'Choco 360' You can check out all the entries (some of which ooze creativity) over on flickr. After much debate, and weeks of discussionÂ
I am pleased to announce the winner of the ÂWin My E3 Faceplate contest. There were over 1,200 entries in the contest, all of which you can view up on the Xbox 360 Flickr group that I created. I first want to thank everyone for their hard work. The designs that you created were amazing. Everyone at Xbox (and across Microsoft) is amazed at the creativity and talent we have in the communityÂ
nice work everyone! Thanks to the Xbox Design team who took time out of their hectic days to help judge! Leaked Xbox 360 Photos Xbox 360: $299, According to Wal-Mart Half Life 3 coming to Xbox 360? Attachable Keyboard for Xbox 360 Controller? Bill Gates Plays Up Xbox 360 Head-Start Designing the Xbox 360 User Interface PS2 Pricecut Trick for Xbox 360 Launch? Discussion >>  A group of protestors, calling themselves the "Peaceoholics", made their way to Rockstar Games' offices in New York. The youth-group were giving out about a game Rockstar have not yet even released, 'Bully'. These people know absolutely nothing about the game (outside of its title) yet they have felt it appropriate to stand outside Rockstar's offices chanting "Hey hey, ho ho, Rockstar Games has got to go." Some of the signs carried by the gang said "Put the cuffs on Rockstar, not youth", and "Prosecute Rockstar Games, they are felons", as if to suggest that the games developer is somehow responsible for mentally deficient teens and young-adults. Rockstar describe "Bully" as: a game where players take the role of a "troublesome schoolboy" who "stands up to bullies, gets picked on by teachers, plays pranks on malicious kids, wins or loses the girl, and ultimately learns to navigate the obstacles of the fictitious reform school." Although the game is expected to get a Mature (M) rating, there is no official word just yet and very little is actually known about the game's storyline, other than what Rockstar has told us.Either way, this is hardly the kind of publicity the New York-based developer would care for at such a time when "Hot Coffee" is spilling all over the place. Politicians have been tainted by the controversial beverage (via one controversial lawyer) and it has been a troubling few months for Rockstar North and parent company Take Two. Although the game is not yet rated (an M for Mature tag seems a certainty) and Rockstar has revealed next to nothing about the actual gameplay, Bully has already made some waves. Given the developer's history with controversial titles and the lasting taboo of violence in a school setting ever since the Columbine High School shootings, it's a safe bet this won't be the last bit of protest directed Rockstar's way over its latest offering. Thompson bullies Rockstar over upcoming game Complete Ban on GTA: San Andreas in Australia Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announces Federal Trade Commission Inquiry(26 July) Did Rockstar damage the gaming industry? Federal Investigation to Reheat Hot Coffee Clinton Statement Praises ESRB, Smacks Rockstar Rockstar Admit Percolating Hot Coffee Discussion >>  Extremetech.com runs through the known features of Windows next OS, and looks at Microsoft's emphasis on games this time around.As they sat down to design the new OS, the company looked at exactly what people spend most of their time doing on Windows PC's. As it turned out, 35.5% is spent browsing the Web and surprisingly, the number two activity at 18% is gaming. So in Vista, Games will get its own listing alongside Computer, Pictures, Music and Documents in the Start menu. Clicking it opens the new Games Explorer, which will act much like Windows Media Player by displaying the box art for your installed games, as well as data like publisher, title and ESRB rating: The Games Explorer is also where you'll go to set parental controls for games. You can limit each user account to only playing games with a certain ESRB rating, but you can get a lot more granular if you wish. You may want to let your child play games with brief nudity, but not realistic blood and gore, for instance. There's a long list of descriptors that fit in with the ESRB content descriptors that accompany the ratings. When a game is locked out, you won't get any information other than its title, and even the box art is hidden. Vista and gaming, a winning combination? Discussion >>  The first wave of acceptance emails have been sent out for the Alpha test of Dungeons & Dragons Online, the MMO port of the classic fantasy game.The game has been in development by Turbine Entertainment for over two years, and is scheduled for release later this year. The Alpha test marks the first chance the public has had to try out the game, and the company plan to gradually let more and more players into the closed test. To be among the first to try it out, sign up for the test here; Turbine have said that they give preference to members of the D&D Online community forums, so it might boost your chances to sign up there as well. Related: Dungeons & Dragons Online official site Screenshots TurbineGames.com Gamespot D&D Online preview Like D&D? Don't Apply to Join the Israeli Army Discussion >>  Tomb Raider: Legend, the seventh instalment in the long-running series, is to make its world premiere at the German Games Convention in Leipzig later this month.For the first time, attendees will be able to get a hands-on impression of the game with playable demos on the show floor. The game made a behind closed-doors appearance at the E3 back in May. As well as showing off the game, producers will be on hand to answer questions from fans at the conference, which runs from the 17th to the 21st of August. The game is being developed for the Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2 and PSP and was due for release at the end of this year, but it may not see a release until 2006. Tomb Raider: Legend gets world premiere at Leipzig Related: TombRaider.com Tomb Raider: Legend trailers Tomb Raider site updated; new screens and interview Angelina Jolie not voicing Croft in 'Legend' Saucy Tomb Raider: Legend screens surface Tomb Raider's Djimon Hounsou and Bono to tackle poverty Discussion >>  The Daily Mirror is reporting that rap star Eminem has some games-specific demands for the venues he will hit on his upcoming tour. The dressing rooms must be turned into fully-equipped games parlours with an "arcade-style ambience":The singer insists that his play room - which has to "comfortably accommodate eight persons" - is kitted-out with full-sized electronic games, a monster TV with PlayStation, ping-pong table and basketball hoop. What no Toy Soldiers? Vivendi Hint at 50 Cent and Scarface Sequels 50 Cent: Bulletproof, Official Trailer 50 Cent Game revealed, Gangster style Discussion >>  Capcom's Jun Takeuchi has given a new interview with Famitsu magazine, giving some more details on Resident Evil 5. The main points are: · The production is still in the early stages, and storyline details are still up in the air. · The game is to include real physics; Takeuchi mentioned Epic's Unreal 3 as a possible provider. · RE5 is to be a sequel to the main storyline threaded through the series, in contrast to the side-story diversion of part 4. · The framerate is to be doubled from previous games in the series to 60fps. · The gameplay won't be too linear; Takeuchi pointed to Half-Life 2 as a good example of this, but didn't say RE5 would take an identical approach. Also revealed in the interview is the extraordinary amount of detail put into the recently-released RE5 trailer; the developers painstakingly created models for the muscles and teeth of |
