Dragon Ball: Raging Blast Tuesday, May 26, 2009
NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S. today announced the launch of Dragon Ball®: Raging Blast, the first video game in the Budokai Tenkaichi series to come to the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Featuring stunning HD graphics and audio, destructible environments and enhanced character features, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast takes players far beyond the realms of the original anime series, blasting its way into retailers in Europe and the PAL territories this autumn 2009.
In-game Ads a $1 Billion Industry Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Advertising in games may get the audience but will brands invest in the format? Screen Digest & GroupM examine the prospects to 2014
The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun Tuesday, May 26, 2009
D3Publisher announced today that it will bring Cartoon Network’s hit television series THE SECRET SATURDAYS™ to video game systems for the first time this Autumn with THE SECRET SATURDAYS: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN for Wii™, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system. In THE SECRET SATURDAYS: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN, players take control of Zak Saturday and the rest of the Saturdays family, a group of scientific explorers dedicated to discovering and protecting the secret artefacts and mysterious creatures known as Cryptids. Using Zak’s unique powers and The Claw to battle enemies and swing through action-packed environments, players will find and collect more than 30 never-before-seen Cryptids and face off against a number of the television show’s most notable villains.
Resident Evil 5 Soundtrack Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc., through its licensing relationship with Capcom®, proudly presents Resident Evil 5 Original Soundtrack featuring the original music score from the new generation of the fear-inducing video game series. The Resident Evil 5 Original Soundtrack 3-CD set is released today to retail through Sumthing Else Music Works (www.sumthing.com). The physical CD is distributed by Sumthing Distribution and the digital release is available on Sumthing Digital (www.sumthingdigital.com) and iTunes®.
BeerShooter for iPhone Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Right on time to the start of the beer garden season Germany's leading mobile games publisher HandyGames™ brings Bavarian tradition to the Apple App Store releasing the brand new mobile hit BEERSHOOTER.
Tocco Robo for iPhone Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The gentleman coders at Scotland’s newest iPhone and iPod developer Electric TopHat announce today that the first in a series of expansive updates for their colourful and horribly addictive puzzle title Tocco Robo will hit App Store in June.
Ubisoft chooses Ztorm for digital distribution Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Ztorm today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Ubisoft, one of the world's leading interactive entertainment software companies. The agreement will allow the major retailers in Scandinavia to sell Ubisoft games through the digital distribution service provided by Ztorm, the Nordic market leader of digital distribution services to retailers.
Golden Joystick Awards 2009 Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Voting for the opening stage of the world’s favourite gaming awards closes on Friday 22nd May at 1pm BST. Get over to www.goldenjoystick.com now and have your say. Votes cast before then directly shape the finalists across 15 gamer-voted categories.
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel TV Ads Wednesday, May 20, 2009
cdv Software Entertainment USA is inviting gamers to check out two new TV advertisements for the newly released action-RPG – Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. The new 30-second commercial spots feature a CGI battle between two of the six playable characters in the game – the angelic Seraphim, and the mysterious Inquisitor.
Dead to Rights: Retribution Welcomes you to Grant City Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Grant City is as much a character of Dead to Right: Retribution as protagonists Jack and Shadow. It’s a living breathing city, steeped in history and symbolism and provides the setting for the neo-noir, heavy-going, bleak atmosphere for this epic game.
BRAID NOW AVAILABLE FOR MAC Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Mac gamers rejoice! You too can now manipulate the flow of time and rescue the Princess. Hothead Games proudly announced today the release of the Mac version of Jonathan Blow's Braid on the Greenhouse indie digital distribution platform at www.playgreenhouse.com. Available for worldwide download at only $14.95, today's launch of Braid represents the one of the first in a unique collaboration between Hothead and other top-notch independent developers to bring their award-winning titles to new gaming platforms.
Robocalypse for iPhone Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Demolisher, an evil robot bent on world domination, has announced his impending invasion of the iPhone! Vogster Entertainment, developers of the original Robocalypse™ for the Nintendo DS™, are pleased to announce today that they will bring their critically acclaimed, mission-based real time strategy title to the iPhone later this summer. Robocalypse – Mobile Mayhem will feature all the humor, wit, content and strategy of the original game, and will be enhanced to deliver an even better experience through the iPhone’s unique features – including touch-screen support and online multiplayer. Fun and intuitive, Robocalypse – Mobile Mayhem for the iPhone will be accessible to all skill-levels of players - from the most casual tactician to the supreme robot-ruling warlord.
Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood (Preview) Gaming Heaven :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Call Of Juarez was released a few years ago and was quite the success in the gaming community. As a wild west style FPS with an impressive engine it was used in many cases as a benchmarking utility for new graphics cards at the time. The follow up Bound In Blood is due for release this year and again has the same two character mechanic. We recently spent some time with a few of the levels which we found out is actually a prequel to the first title.
iXtreme v1.6 - Team HyperX -THX- *update* Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
>>A new release of the iXtreme firmware for BenQ, Samsung and LiteOn drives. Hitachi will follow at a later date (ETA unknown) as usual.
Team HyperX Presents IXtreme 1.6 firmware for Benq, Samsung and Liteon drives
Features:
-Strict Wave 3 compliance! hybrid (modified disks) will not boot!
-Strict drive speed compliance - 12x only for game discs!
-Support for SS V2!
-Integrated 0800 for game dumping including SS v2!
-Full support for all known game exceptions! eg ddr etc!
-One shot boot mode! - allows a one off boot of gamedisc without -stealth/partition checks (will still use stealth), use activate.iso disk to activate each time!
-Support for easy drive key/version info cmd, same as liteon!
-Strict stealth/wave checking, one shot boot mode will boot wave(x)!
More Info
Strict Wave 3 compliance means wave 3 games will only boot if they have correct PFI/DMI/SS and timestamp for wave 3
Strict drive speed compliance means games will only boot if drive is set for the initial speed of 12x, any modification of this make games fail to boot
SS v2 suports multiple timing samples for challenges type 5 and 7 , stroing them in the SS. This is a pre-requiste for SS v3 which has support for the so called AP2.5 check. Since this has never been used or may never be used by MS we will adopt a wait and see approach and continue to monitor for its usage.
With drive in Windows mode (Tray half open on powerup) 0800 mode is activated allowing easy dumping of game disc including SS v2. In this mode the drive is also able to output drive key, fw version and drive type by using a simple custom inquiry command.
Game exceptions are integrated in the fw for games that do not comply with the strict wave checks but are legitimate. These are Dance Dance Revolution Universe, Stoked, Ping 17 disk, afro samurai
One shot boot mode allows you to boot a Wave X or non stealth game by using the activate.iso disk as a flag. Just insert the activate disc and the next disc inserted will boot without any strict checks. This will still utilise full stealth if available. As soon as that disc is booted the flag is cleared, and you will have to re-insert the activate disk again to enable one shot boot. As always use with caution.
We apologize for the short delay, but we found some last minute bugs very late and wanted to make sure you guys are safe! As usual, modifying your firmware comes with NO guarantee for safety on xbox live.
Why the name change? No reason, we just felt like it. -THX-
-*UPDATE*-
A repack was release for the LiteOn version. This repack was just a slight fix to the original release. The repack .bin has 'repack' as the file name, and the new upcoming JungleFlasher(info ) will automatically recognize the new version, and discard any beta/old versions.
Official Site: n/a (By Team HyperX)
Download: n/a (May Be illegal under EULA/DMCA)
News-Source: xbins.org
Release This: Too Human, Sims 2: Apartment Life Head U.S. Lineup Gamasutra Columns :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Gamasutra's latest "Release This!" explores a week that brings the debut of Too Human and The Sims 2: Apartment Life in the United States, as Japan prepares for J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship and Inazuma Eleven.
Critical Reception: D3/Treasure's Bangai-O Spirits Gamasutra Columns :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
This week's edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to Bangai-O Spirits, a Treasure-developed sequel that reviewers describe as "a shooter that celebrates shooters."
Xecuter RROD Pro Repair Kit Tutorial Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
From team-xecuter.com :
<BR><I>
Here is our official tutorial for the RROD Pro Kit. We've made its as simple and noob-friendly as possible.
We have also fixed the downloads page and updated the Dissasemble Xbox 360 Instructions to include info on how to remove the motherboard.
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Official Site:
Buy Now: mrmodchips / ck3.co.uk
Critical Reception: Bizarre Creations' Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 Gamasutra Columns :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
This week's edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, an Xbox Live Arcade shooter sequel that critics say is a "superb sequel" that "bests the original in every respect."
Datel Hacks Xbox360 Memory Card Protection - 2/4GB Memcards Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Datel launched a 2GB (40 USD) and 4GB (50 USD) Memory Card compatible with the Xbox360. It even includes a Micro SD slot for more memory (up to 16GB). Afaik this is the first unofficial memory card for the Xbox360 (unlike normal USB memory sticks/hdds these can be used as real memory card to store gamesaves and XBL content). Looks like Datel managed to bypass/hack the protection Microsoft uses on their memcards.
From codejunkies.com :
<BR><I>
MAX Memory 4GB is a 100% compatible memory card for the Xbox 360 that includes an incredible 4GB of high speed flash memory - that's 64x the size of a standard 360 memory card!
If you don't have a hard drive you're going to need a memory card if you want to use Xbox L!ve, save your progress in games or make use of new content like themes or expansions; MAX Memory is the perfect choice for storing and transporting all this content.
By including a massive 4GB of storage capacity, MAX Memory is a fantastic value alternative to a hard drive. What makes MAX Memory even better value is the fact that it can be expanded using any Micro SD memory card, including SDHC (High Capacity) up to an incredible 16GB. Since Micro SD is one of the best value memory formats available, MAX Memory can be expanded to provide all the save capacity you'll ever need at a minimum cost.
MAX Memory is the only Xbox 360 memory card to offer all of these features:
* 100% compatible with Xbox 360
* Huge 4GB of storage capacity - 64x the size of a standard memory card
* Expandable up to 16GB with snap-in Micro SD cards
* Backup, restore and access files from your PC
* Plug-and-Play
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Official Site:
Release This: Soulcalibur IV, Rhythm Tengoku Gold Debut Worldwide Gamasutra Columns :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Gamasutra's latest "Release This!" explores a week that brings the worldwide debut of Namco Bandai fighter Soulcalibur IV and the Japanese portable premieres of DS music game Rhythm Tengoku Gold and Sega's PSP action/RPG Phantasy Star Portable.
WSJ 'Confirms' Xbox 360 Full Body Motion Sensing Controls Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
From wsj.com :
<BR><I>
Microsoft Corp. is developing a new videocamera for its Xbox 360 videogame console that will allow players to control games with the movement of their bodies, according to people familiar with the matter.
Unlike the Wii, the Microsoft camera won't require users to hold any hardware in their hands to control in-game action, people familiar with the matter say.
The device could be shown as early as the E3 game industry conference in Los Angeles in early June, though it likely will not be released until next year, these people say.
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Full Story: wsj.com
Saling The World: Soulcalibur IV Debuts High in Worldwide Charts Gamasutra Columns :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Gamasutra's latest "Saling The World" charts see Soulcalibur IV top weekly Xbox 360 and PS3 software sales in the U.S. and Japan, while Phantasy Star Portable leads overall Japanese cross-platform results.
Xbox Tester: Secret Xbox Suicide Command and MGS4 Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
From 8bitjoystick.com :
<BR><I>
Yesterday I had a very long interesting conversation with a recently laid off Xbox 360 hardware/software tester who had some very interesting things to say to me.
1st. Interesting Thing:
There is a super secret kill-switch remote suicide self-destruct command that if Microsoft really wanted to they can remotely trigger and tell an Xbox 360 to fry itself and die. This was intended to be a last resort option if a fight against Xbox Live cheaters or major league professional game piracy ever got big. To their knowledge it has only been done in test situation in the lab but if they wanted to they could have the regular system security sweeps over Xbox Live activate a kill command when it found a compromised hacked Xbox 360 system. It works by having the Xbox overload a fuse and "pop" the fuse. The Xbox 360 will then crash and then will get an "Red Ring of Death Core Digital" error when the boot-up test comes back with a major component hardware failure. This is not the same as bricking or crashing a system since this will actually do physical damage to the motherboard.
2nd. Interesting Thing:
Microsoft is currently software testing Metal Gear Solid 4 for Xbox 360. They might announce it at E3 but Konami likes to make money and Metal Gear Solid 4 was very expensive for them to make. Microsoft and Konami will not admit it before they are ready to but secretly builds of Metal Gear Solid 4 for Xbox 360 started being tested late last year. Konami want to make back their software development costs and they need to get it on the Xbox 360 to do it.
3rd. Interesting Thing:
Microsoft makes a lot of hardware prototypes and very few hardware projects actually make it to market. They probably did start to build a Blu-Ray player and a motion sensitive wand controller but they never got close enough to making it to market.
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Full Story: 8bitjoystick.com
Microsoft to Buy Game Maker BigPark Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
From pcmag.com :
<BR><I>
Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it will buy computer game designer BigPark Inc for an undisclosed amount, as it pushes its strategy of producing exclusive games for its Xbox entertainment system.
More information is expected at the video game industry's annual E3 Expo in June.
BigPark, founded in 2007 by former executives of Electronic Arts Inc and Distinctive Software Inc, will become part of Microsoft Game Studios.
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Full Story: pcmag.com
Pachter: 360 demolished PS3 in April, US trade down 17pct Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
From vg247.com :
<BR><I>
Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter just put out his US console sales estimate for April, putting Wii at 480,000 units, 360 at 275,000, and PS3 at 175,000 consoles.
The analyst predicted another tough comp for the month, saying he expects sales of $550 million, down 17% compared to last year's $660 million.
</I><BR><BR>
Full Story: vg247.com
Arkanoid XBLA wants extra money Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
From eurogamer.net :
<BR><I>
This week's Xbox Live Arcade offering Arkanoid Live! may include a hidden charge that users must pay in order to finish the game.
Microsoft asks for 800 Microsoft Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60) for Arkanoid Live!, but Xbox.com forum members (as well as Eurogamer readers and posters on the Major Nelson blog ) claim this only covers episodes one and two, and that a further 400 MSP (GBP 3.40 / EUR 4.80) is needed to unlock episodes three and four.
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Full Story: eurogamer.net
Saling The World: Final Fantasy IV Heads DS Charts In Debut Week Gamasutra Columns :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Gamasutra's latest "Saling The World" charts see the just-released Final Fantasy IV surpassing long-time chart leader Guitar Hero: On Tour on the Nintendo DS in North America, as KORG DS-10 leads DS sales in Japan.
New Xecuter RROD PRO Repair Kit with X-Clamps Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
From team-xecuter.com :
<BR><I>
We released our original Xbox 360 RROD repair kit during Christmas 2008 - and after over 100,000 sales it has proved to be a superb success.
Of course there were still many consoles that it could not fix, and 360 modders were using an X-Clamp kit along with the Xecuter RROD kit to do a more robust repair. Naturally we wanted to make sure that our customers had the very best solution possible so we took the time to investigate the many many X-Clamp kits available and found that no two were the same, with many giving varying opinions and methods.
So we spent a week or so testing the ass out of many many different fix designs and after finding what we think is the absolute perfect solution we can now launch the Xecuter RROD PRO Repair Kit for the Xbox 360.
Not only have we included our specially formulated K-Pads for the memory chips, we have custom designed our own X-Clamp and have manufactured the bolts so that the length is the absolute precise length and thickness to offer the very very best solution.
We also include perfect sized washers and the best quality silicon paste to enable you to repair both the GPU & CPU all in one kit. All other tools are of course included.
As a test, we purchased exactley 100 RROD consoles from a games store and applied the fix to all of these. After bench testing for 7 days we have 87 consoles working perfectly with just the RROD Pro Fix, 6 others needed a DVD drive replacement and 7 could not be repaired at all - so were returned to M$ for replacements
We are very pleased with the results and believe this kit will be the definative repair kit available anywhere for the XBOX 360.
</I><BR><BR>
Official Site:
NPD April 2009: Xbox360 175k, PS3 127k, Wii 340k Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Here are the US NPD April 2009 numbers:
* DS - 1,040,000
* Wii - 340,000
* Xbox 360 - 175,000
* PS2 - 172,000
* PS3 - 127,000
* PSP - 116,000
And Microsoft's reply via gamasutra.com :
<BR><I>
Responding to Thursday's NPD U.S. game sales numbers for April 2009, Microsoft highlighted third-party game sales of $98 million for the month, "a key measure of platform health" and beating the Wii and PlayStation 3.
Overall, the company conceded that Xbox 360 U.S. retail sales were 175,000 units, a dip of 7 percent compared with a year earlier. However, it argued that "April 2008 saw the release of the blockbuster Grand Theft Auto IV, significantly boosting Xbox 360 sales this time last year."
The company noted that Xbox 360 sales were up 28 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2009, "the highest growth of any console this year", as Xbox 360 games claimed four of the top 10 console titles, including The Godfather II, Resident Evil 5, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Guitar Hero: Metallica.
</I><BR><BR>
360 Modification Disc v1.6 Xbox Scene :: Saturday, May 16, 2009
FrostyTheSnowman released a new version of his 360 Modification Disc(info ).
What's new/fixed in v1.6:
* Updated all firmware to iXtreme v1.6
* 0800 Mode for Samsung/BenQ/Lite-On (thanks to iXtreme v1.6)
* Added 'Donations' screen, to show my appreciation :)
Official Site: n/a, by FrostyTheSnowman
Download: n/a (contains modified FWs)
News-Source/Full Readme: xbins.org
