Sony Corp sold about 250,000 units of the new version of the PlayStation Portable in Japan in the four days since its launch, a game magazine publisher said on Wednesday, roughly matching total Japanese sales of the original PSP in the two months through August.
Sony launched the new PSP, which is cheaper and slimmer than the initial model, on Sept. 20 in Japan in a bid to compete better with Nintendo Co Ltd's hot-selling DS Lite.
Both Sony and Nintendo released their handheld consoles, the PSP and DS, respectively, late in 2004.
But sales of the PSP, which can play movies, music and games, have recently been outshone by the DS Lite, the lighter version of the DS.
Sony sold 250,702 new PSPs in the four days through Sept. 23, compared with 275,223 units of the original PSP it sold in July and August in Japan, according to data from videogame magazine publisher Enterbrain.
The new PSP sells for 19,800 yen, which is 5 percent less than the original model and compares with 16,800 yen for the DS Lite.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Sony Sells 250,000 New PSPs in Four Days
Yoga Comes to Consoles
A Japanese video game software firm has come up with a novel way to release stress that doesn't involve blowing up aliens or racing roadsters: yoga.
Konami Digital Entertainment showcased its digital yoga instructor at Asia's biggest video game expo to cash in on the global popularity of what industry experts are calling "casual" games - lifestyle-oriented software that is aimed at older gamers for whom slaying monsters holds little appeal.
"There is very much a health boom these days. So we thought it would be great if we could make people healthier or more beautiful with these games and provide value-added services to the gaming industry," said Katunori Okita from Konami.
The digital instructor, which fits on a portable game console, guides you through all the moves, giving you tips on where to stretch. It also keeps a daily log of your activities.
The software also comes in a pilates version and costs $35.
Promoters for Nintendo's hit Wii console and its rivals, Sony's Playstation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox, vied for the attention of the thousands of gamers, industry specialists and the members of the media that packed the Makuhari Messe on the outskirts of Tokyo for the show's opening.
Around the world, fans spend around $30 billion a year on electronic games and equipment and Asia accounts for a hefty portion of that, especially tech-savvy countries such as Japan and South Korea.
Halo 3 Doesn't Play in HD
Ever wondered why Halo 3 has so many jaggies? The anti-aliasing may be off, but the game’s been upscaled from a rather unusual resolution – 1152x640 (640p!) to the HD 720p resolution of 1280x720. Here’s Bungie’s statement on the same:
The reason we chose this slightly unorthodox resolution and this very complex use of two buffers is simple enough to see – lighting. We wanted to preserve as much dynamic range as possible – so we use one for the high dynamic range and one for the low dynamic range values. Both are combined to create the finished on screen image.
In fact, if you do a comparison shot between the native 1152x640 image and the scaled 1280x720, it’s practically impossible to discern the difference. We would ignore it entirely were it not for the internet’s propensity for drama where none exists. In fact the reason we haven’t mentioned this before in weekly updates, is the simple fact that it would have distracted conversation away from more important aspects of the game, and given tinfoil hats some new gristle to chew on as they catalogued their toenail clippings.
The game’s lighting is in fact remarkable, but the jaggies are also really apparent which makes you cringe during a few scenes in the single player campaign. The multiplayer on the whole seems a lot better, and the gameplay in both modes more than make up for the visual flaws in the game. Nash and I have been hooked on to the Halo 3 MP since while now, and we love every bit of it. Stay tuned to Tech2.com for a review of the same.
Rock Band Dated, Priced at $169.99
The biggest upcoming party game has been priced, and the tag is nowhere as high as we’d expected. The game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will cost $169.99 and ship with a drum kit, guitar, and microphone!
The Xbox 360 version will have a wired guitar, while the PS3’s will be wireless (boohoo!). To accommodate all the accessories, the Xbox 360 version will supposedly have a USB hub bundled with it.
on December 10th for the PS2. The PS2 version will contain a wireless guitar and will cost USD $159.99.
Let’s hope that the game gets released for their respective platforms in India too, with a similar price tag. $170 = around Rs. 6,800, which is a real good deal for such a game. I just can’t wait to get my hands on it!
BlackSite: Area 51 Delayed for the PS3
As if the Unreal Tournament 3 delay wasn’t bad enough for Sony, we now get word (via shacknews) that the PS3 version of BlackSite: Area51 has now been delayed as well.
BlackSite will now release only for the Xbox 360 and the PC on November 5, while the PS3 version will hit the stands three weeks later (or so they say).
In case you didn’t know, BlackSite: Area51 is the successor to Midway’s sci-fi/horror shooter Area 51 that released for the PS2 and Xbox in 2005.
Unreal Tournament 3 (PS3) Delayed
After making Xbox 360 owners burn with envy at E3 2007 – which is when Epic announced that Unreal Tournament 3 would ship this holiday for the PC and the PS3 – we now get word via Wired's Game|Life blog that the PS3 version of UT3 has been pushed to 2008 as well (snicker!)
For all those who never followed E3 2007, Unreal Tournament 3 was to release on the PS3 and PC this November, while the Xbox 360 version was to be out in 2008. And now, due to reasons unknown (and a weird twist of fate), the PS3 version will be hitting the stands in 2008 as well.
The PC version, on the other hand, is till on track for its November release date.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars on Steam
Splash Damage's class-based shooter has finally hit Valve’s service, Steam. You can now pre-purchase the game for $49.95, but you’ll have to wait until October 9 to play it.
It's been a few days since the game was released in the US and Europe, but for those of us who live in regions where it hasn’t, this is great news. It might be the only way we can get our hands on it!
Quake Wars offers class-based multiplayer combat with a good variety of unlocks to keep things fresh. The game is set in the Quake universe, where the GDF (Global Defense Force) takes on the alien race 'Strogg'. I loved the demo and can’t wait to get my hands on the full game!
Unreal Tournament 3 Specs Revealed
Even though both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Unreal Tournament 3 have been delayed, the PC version is still on track for a November release and here are the system requirements.
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista
2.0+ GHZ Single Core Processor
512 Mbytes of System RAM
NVIDIA 6200+ or ATI Radeon 9600+ Video Card
8 GB of Free Hard Drive Space
Recommended System Requirements:
2.4+ GHZ Dual Core Processor
1 GBytes of System RAM
NVIDIA 7800GTX+ or ATI x1300+ Video Card
8 GB of Free Hard Drive Space
Spiderman: Friend or Foe Available Now
After his rather dismal outing in Spiderman 3, everyone’s favorite web crawler is back with yet another game that’s really looking to please the younger crowds this time round.
It’s time to experience the ultimate fighting team as Spider-Man unites with popular super-heroes and powerful super-villains from the movie trilogy and beyond in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe. Throughout the game’s original story and thrilling battles, players are challenged to defeat and then join forces with notorious movie foes including Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Venom and Sandman, as well as others from the classic Spider-Man family of characters, and embark on a global quest to overcome an evil threat.
For more on the game, head on over to its official site.
DoSomethingAmazing With Halo 3
Halo 3’s Theater mode is awesome no doubt and if you feel your video is l33t enough you may want to enrol yourself in the Halo 3 video contest that’s being conducted by Bugie in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force. Here’s what you need to do to take part in that contest:
Make your best movie using the Halo 3 Saved Films tool.
Edit it down to a maximum of 1 minute.
Save it to Bungie.net
Write up the reason your movie is AMAZING.
Submit the following information to our contest entry form: Bungie.net URL for your saved movie to our contest entry form, along with
Gamertag
Name
Email
Date of birth
Why your movie is the MOST AMAZING HALO 3 MOVIE!
If your movie turns out to be the cat’s whiskers, here’s what you stand to win:
1st prize - Halo Edition Xbox 360 PLUS Battle Rifle replicas
2nd prize - Battle Rifle and Carbine replicas
3rd prize - Battle Rifle replica
4th prize - Random drawing to thank all entrants: Carbine replica (2 winners)
For more on the contest head right here.
Rockstar Offended by Simpson GTA Parody
Developer Rockstar who’s most famous for ripping on other games in their franchises somehow didn’t like it when they were at the receiving end of a little harmless banter.
EA’s upcoming Simpsons game that’s based on the movie of the same name has been poking fun at nearly every game out there, including Medal of Honor (Medal of Homer), Guitar Hero (Sitar Hero) and so on. However, when it came to a Grand Theft Auto parody (Grand Theft Scratchy) Rockstar played spoilsport and lodged a complaint with EA
Here’s what Greg Rizzer, the game’s designer told CVG in a recent interview: "I was always under the impression that when you do parody, it's a sign of respect... If we make fun of Grand Theft Auto, we're not going to hurt the sales of Grand Theft Auto... But yeah, we've definitely had some reactions – we've had to pull stuff from the game."
For shame Rockstar, for shame!
Crysis May Hit Next Gen Consoles: Part Deux
We’ve been through this whole "Could Crysis come to consoles?" discussion multiple times now but today, we’ve got a confirmed answer of sorts for you and that is YES!, Crysis could come to the Xbox 360 and the PS3... as long as it sells well on the PC.
Here’s the lowdown straight from Crytek CEO, Cevat Yerli in a recent interview with Game Informer:
"What happens next we haven't decided yet, because first we want to see how the game is received, publicly and critically, ratings wise, et cetera. We believe it will be received at least as strong as Far Cry. I hope personally a 5% average increase. That would give us an argument to, 'OK, let's see how we can bring Crysis to consoles.' The engine right now is running on consoles so there's no reason why we couldn't."
All said and done I’m sure the game will sell well and I’m even more sure of the fact that EA will want to milk the franchise as hard as humanly possible so I really wouldn’t be surprised to see a Nintendo DS version of Crysis floating around in the near future.
Microsoft, 'Halo' Creators Split
Bungie Studios, the "Halo" video game developer acquired by Microsoft Corp. in 2000, is once again operating as an independent company, Microsoft said Friday.
The software maker will maintain close ties with privately held Bungie LLC and own a minority stake in it, the companies said.
Bungie will develop games exclusively for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Windows PC platforms "for the foreseeable future," said Harold Ryan, Bungie's president and studio head, in an interview.
The two companies said they will continue to work together to support the "Halo" franchise - including "Halo 3" released Sept. 25 - and will expand their partnership to include new games. Executives declined to comment on the size of Microsoft's stake or other financial terms of the deal, which was effective Friday.
Microsoft acquired Chicago-based Bungie and its "Halo" concept in 2000, ensuring that the Xbox would be the only game console to run the multiplayer first-person shooter game. Bungie moved from Chicago to Kirkland, Wash., a few miles from Microsoft's Redmond headquarters, and the first installment of the trilogy went on sale simultaneously with the first Xbox console in November 2001.
"Working with Microsoft was great for us, it allowed us to grow as a team and make the ambitious, blockbuster games we all wanted to work on," said Jason Jones, Bungie founder and partner, in a statement Friday. "But Bungie is like a shark. We have to keep moving to survive. We have to continually test ourselves, or we might as well be dolphins. Or manatees."
Matt Rosoff, an analyst for the independent research group Directions on Microsoft, said he doesn't think Microsoft wanted to spin off Bungie.
"This is probably about Bungie wanting to have a little more control over kinds of games they're making, and not wanting to answer to Microsoft for everything," he said.
Bungie's Ryan said the studio had plenty of creative freedom while operating as part of Microsoft to build new game concepts and game prototypes.
But David Riley, a director at market researcher NPD Group, was skeptical.
"Even though they say they had plenty of creative juices flowing, (they) still can't act on them, not all of them anyway," he said. "There are limitations, and rules you need to abide by," when working inside a big corporation.
Gamers have plunked down more than $300 million for "Halo 3" since its release less than two weeks ago, and Microsoft said the game's launch goosed sales of the Xbox 360 console. The video game costs between $60 and $130, depending on special features and commemorative packaging.
About 4.5 million copies of the first "Halo" title were sold in the U.S., and more than 6.2 million of "Halo 2," according to NPD Group.
"While we are supporting Bungie's desire to return to its independent roots, we will continue to invest in our 'Halo' entertainment property with Bungie and other partners," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, in a statement. The company said it is working on a new project with film director Peter Jackson, of "The Lord of the Rings" acclaim.
In an interview Friday, Kim added that Microsoft had no plans to spin off other game studios owned by the software maker.
Rumors swirled early in the week that a contract between Microsoft and Bungie had expired during development of "Halo 3." Ryan said no such contract existed.
"For the last several years, everyone at Bungie has been an at-will employee," he said.
For the fiscal year that ended in June, Microsoft wrote down more than $1 billion to cover widespread Xbox 360 defects, and reported an operating loss of more than $1.89 billion for the division responsible for the game console.
The company has told Wall Street it expects the division to be profitable in the current fiscal year, and Kim said that thanks to the strong "Halo 3" launch, "We're well on our way to achieving that objective."
Bungie's approximately 113 employees will remain in Kirkland.
Halo Movie Officially Dead
After teasing and tantalizing Halo fans for over two years now, the much anticipated (or dreaded) Halo movie has now officially been proclaimed dead. Here’s what the movie’s director, Neill Blomkamp had to say in a recent interview with IGN:
"The film is entirely dead. In the configuration it was in. Whatever happens with that movie, assuming that movie gets made, will be a totally different configuration," Blomkamp informed Creativity-Online.com. "It's not so much me as the entire vessel sank. Basically, it was a combination of; there were two studios involved that weren't getting along in the process of making it, Universal and Fox. That kind of stuff happens, it's a fragile industry. So the film collapsed at the end of last year, and it's been dead, ever since then. I'll be curious to see what happens."
Via Teamxbox.
Leaks Reveal 360 Arcade Unit
If the Xbox 360 Elite’s pricetag is too high for your basic Xbox Live Arcade gaming needs, here’s an alternative – Gamasutra has the scoop on the long-rumored Xbox 360 Arcade pack. Here are the details from their article:
"Now, a new listing on Amazon, and a separate page at on Toys "R" Us' retail site that has been consequently removed, indicate an October 25th release date and $279.99 price point. The package shot shown at Toys "R" Us prominently features the five-game Xbox Live Arcade pack-in, with icons for Pac-Man and UNO lending more credence to the Ars Technica rumors. Microsoft has yet to confirm any details of the new model, nor has the company officially declared that the Core model - which originally was marketed with no hard drive, external storage, or HDMI output at the same $279.99 price - has been discontinued."
Click here for the whole story.
New Demos on the Xbox Live Marketplace
If you’ve got time to kill and nothing to play (while you wait for the Orange Box to release perhaps?), there are two new demos on the Xbox Live Marketplace that’ll keep you busy. The first is Bladestorm, which as the name suggests, is a hack’n’slash multi-platform game by Koei.
The other demo is Looney Tunes: ACME Arsenal, a 3-D action adventure that puts you in the boots of Bugs, Tazz and Daffy (amongst the other loons) to fight the Evil Mad Scientist using an awesome arsenal of over-the-top weapons.
USA Wins WCG 2007
WCG 2007 which took place in Seattle is finally over, with USA leading with three gold medals (Tony Hawk Project 8, Gears of War, and Dead Or Alive 4), two silver medals and one bronze medal. Trailing behind them were Korea and Brazil with two gold medals each. Here’s a screenshot of the results, taken from the official WCG website:
As you can see, none of the Indian finalists won anything. I guess we just got to game a little harder; let’s hope we do better next time.
For those of you who’re curious, next year’s finals will be held in Cologne, Germany.
[Via FiringSquad]
Conan and Simpsons Demos on XBL
After ACME Arsenal and Bladestorm, demos for Conan and The Simpsons Game hit the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here’s a little about each one of them:
Conan Demo: Play the Conan demo and experience the strength and savagery of Conan as you wage an epic battle across the world of Hyboria! Approximately 15 minutes of gameplay plus some short video segments.
The Simpsons Game Demo: After Kang and Kodos use their Halloween ray on Springfield’s famous Lard Lad statue, it’s up to Homer and Bart to stop the rampaging mascot from destroying the town. To do this the two must fend off waves of miniature Krusty dolls while avoiding Lard Lad’s destructive laser and stomp attacks in an attempt to pull out his wiring. Will our heroes prevail? The fate of Springfield is in your hands!
Both of these games seem to be real good (Nash can vouch for Conan, he’s been playing it since a few days), so I suggest that you get on Live and download the demos fast.
Game on Darfur Crises Looks to Educate
If you thought computer games were all about entertainment, fun and very little learning, then here is a game that is aimed to sensitize and create awareness about the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan, in which many have died and more than two million people have been displaced. This game is called aptly called 'Darfur is Dying'.
The idea of a Darfur-related computer game came from MTVU, MTV’s network for university students. The network has partnered with the Reebok Human Rights Foundation and the International Crisis Group. Together, they announced a contest called ‘Darfur Digital Activist Contest’ and offered a grant of $50,000 to anyone willing to make a video game about Darfur.
"We saw neo-Nazis and hate groups using online video games as tools of hate with evil games like 'Concentration Camp Rat Hunt' and realized the medium could also be used to effect positive change in the world," said Claudia Bojorquez, MTVU Public Affairs.
After receiving many entries, MTVU put the game up on its website along with other entries, asking visitors to choose their favorite and 'Darfur is Dying' won. This game was created by Susana Ruiz, Ashley York, Mike Stein, Noah Keating and Kellee Santiago of the University of Southern California. The team spoke to genocide experts and those who had worked in the refugee camps.
Darfur is Dying was officially launched on 30 April 2006 at the Save Darfur rally on the National Mall and can be played online for free.
The game is set in a refugee camp where the player has to choose from a number of Darfurian characters of all different ages and genders. Once the character is chosen, the player has to begin with a task of fetching water for the camp. The character is moving across a barren landscape, clutching an empty container. Along the way, it has to dodge trucks filled with armed militiamen. If the player is lucky, the he will reach the water pump and then back to the camp. If the player is unlucky and gets caught, the player is told what happens to his character. For example, a player learns that a young boy is likely to be killed or kidnapped by the militias, or that a young girl is likely to face rape and abuse.
MTVU says that the game has been played over 2 million times by one million people since its launch. But some ask if the game is doing what it was designed to do – to increase awareness of and activism around the situation in Darfur. “Darfur is Dying was designed to be engaging and is passed from friend to friend via e-mail, so it would educate and spread the message about what's going on in Darfur. Gamers can also take real world action by sending a letter to the president or a local legislator urging them to take action while playing the game,” says Bojorquez.
Orange Box to Hit Indian Stores this Month
Valve’s Orange Box, a compilation of five of their most awesome games, is about to hit Indian shores by October 16, and will retail for Rs 999 only.
Yeah, you read right people; for just Rs 999 you’ll get the following games:
Half Life 2
Half Life 2: Episode 1
Half Life 2: Episode 2
Portal
Team Fortress 2
The game will also be released for the Xbox 360 and the PS3.
ET: Quake Wars to Arrive in India This Week
Close on the heels of the press release we received regarding Orange Box, World Wide CD Roms hit us with yet another bundle of good news regarding Enemy Territories: Quake Wars.
The PC version of Splash Damage’s MP FPS will be launched in India in exactly three days (October 12) for Rs. 999.
Set within the expansive QUAKE universe in the year 2065, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars offers the ultimate in objective-based multiplayer action, either online or offline with computer-controlled players. Up to 24 gamers can play online, electing to play as the human GDF or alien Strogg in one of five unique character classes. Employing an arsenal of weapons, vehicles and deployable armaments, players engage in an action-packed test of skill and coordinated teamwork through a series of combat objectives. Persistent character growth and achievements reward gamers for teamwork, while clearly defined mission and class objectives guide new players to meaningful contributions on the battlefield.
To know more about the game’s availability you can get in touch with World Wide CD Roms on (022) 2673 1313/ 1414/ 1515. For more on the game, head right here.
Infinity Ward Offers Call of Duty 4 SP Demo
Developer Infinity Ward is offering gamers the world over a small piece of its latest game, in the form of a single player demo that can be grabbed right here.
This demo will give players a chance to try out an entire level from the game’s single player campaign. Here’s what your PC needs to pack in to run the game in all its minimalistic glory:
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 2800+ processor or any 1.8Ghz Dual Core Processor or better supported
RAM: 512MB RAM (768MB for Windows Vista)
Hard Drive: 8GB of free space
Video card: NVIDIA Geforce 6600 or better or ATI Radeon 9800 Pro or better
Call of Duty 4 releases worldwide this November.
EA to Acquire BioWare, Pandemic
Electronic Arts has just announced that it's acquiring VG Holdings Corp – parent company to BioWare and Pandemic Studios – by January 2008. Here’s what studios thought about the acquisition:
Josh Resnick, President and Co-founder of Pandemic Studios:
"Pandemic Studios remains focused on attracting the best talent and creating blockbuster action games. As a worldwide publishing leader, EA represents the ideal partner to bring our titles to market as global entertainment events."
Ray Muzyka, Co-founder and CEO of BioWare Corp:
"We are truly excited by John Riccitiello's new vision for EA. This vision is consistent with BioWare's focus on crafting the highest quality story-driven games in the world. It will enable us to further the careers of the passionate, creative and hard working teams at BioWare Edmonton and BioWare Austin."
EA bagged the two studios by offering $620 million along with $155 million in equity to VG Holdings Corp. Let’s hope that both BioWare and Pandemic continue to give us great titles under their new owners.
[Via 1up.com]
Gabe Newell Trashes the PS3
In an interview, Gabe Newell told Next Generation that he thinks the PS3 is "a waste of everybody’s time"! Here are his words:
"Investing in the Cell, investing in the SPE, gives you no long-term benefits. There's nothing there that you're going to apply to anything else. You're not going to gain anything except a hatred of the architecture they've created. I don't think they're going to make money off their box. I don't think it's a good solution."
Ouch! Hearing this from the co-founder of Valve probably feels like a bee sting to the guys at Sony. I sure hope Sony works on its SDK to make the platform more developer-friendly, so that we don’t have delays with multi-platform games (and game packs) such as Orange Box and Stranglehold.
[Via EvilAvatar]
TimeShift Single Player Demo Out
After months of revamp and redesign, developer Saber Interactive (Will Rock) is ready to unleash its new and improved TimeShift demo to eager audiences.
The single player demo – which can be grabbed from our downloads section – will allow players to rewind, freeze and speed up time as they deem fit in a bid to save the world.
Hellgate London CE almost Sold Out
If you like shelling out dough on Collector Edition boxes, you might want to preorder your copy of Hellgate London: Collector’s Edition (CE) right away. The official website suggests that the CE's almost sold out, and that no more will be made after they’re gone. Here’s how it reads:
CE And Beta Update
Wow. Believe it or not, I've just got word that the Collector's Edition of Hellgate: London is almost sold out completely. And when I say completely, I mean COMPLETELY. We will not be pressing additional copies of the CE HGL, so once they're gone, they're gone forever. Just wanted to give you guys a heads-up!
Here’s a list of contents of the CE:
Special Packaging and Art Design
Hellgate: London Game 2 DVDs
Bonus Disc containing:
- “Making of Hellgate: London”
- Official Game Soundtrack
Hellgate: London Map Poster
106 page Dark Horse Graphic Novel
Unique in-game pet – Mantawraith
If you like what you see, you can buy it from EB Games.
More Info on Xbox 360 Arcade Unit
Engadget has uncovered some more information about the Xbox 360 Arcade unit, and what they’ve got is slightly different from what we heard last week. They’ve got the information from one of their readers, Emanuel E., and here’s what it says:
"…you can expect to pick up the hard drive free console for around $299.99 [Amazon said $279.99], which includes a 256MB Memory Card, a Wireless controller, an HDMI port minus the cable, and a disc that includes demos of Xbox LIVE Arcade games Boom Boom Rocket, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2, Pac-Man Championship, and Uno."
What? You only get demos free?! This seems like a good deal regardless, but I doubt it'll hit the stands this side of the globe anytime soon. So don’t include this unit in your Diwali wishlist yet.
Guitar Hero II Price Mixup
On last week’s episode of the Tech 2.0 show, we covered the Guitar Hero II review for the PS2 and inadvertently said that the game was available for Rs 3500. That was a minor screw-up on our part since the game was selling – and continues to sell – for Rs 4700.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused to potential buyers or distributors.
CoD 4 Indian Release Date Announced
After playing the single player demo of Call of Duty 4 last week, I’m sure most of you are itching to get to grips with the full version. The only problem is you’re going to have to wait till November 15 to get your hands on this bad boy.
All three versions of the game (Xbox360, PS3 and PC) should release on that date. While we don’t have exact figures as far as the Xbox360 and PS3 versions are concerned, the PC version will sell for Rs 1299.
GTA 4 Fix in San Andreas... Sort Of!
Today was the day I geared up for one of the most anticipated games of all times. Today was the day I prepared to sever all ties with family and friends to immerse myself in Liberty City for days on end. Today was the day I applied for a week-long sick leave from work to plaster myself to my Xbox 360 till I finished Grand Theft Auto 4 (GTA4).
As you can see, I was really looking forward to GTA4, so to say I was disappointed by the delay would be a gross understatement. As I was rummaging around the Internet for any sort of GTA 4-related news (yeah, I’m kinda obsessive that way), I came across this rather amusing mod on GTA4.net.
Painkiller Overdose Demo Out Now
While a lot of shooters tend to concentrate on realism, Painkiller was a simple but ridiculously enjoyable shoot-everything-that-moves effort in the vein of Doom and the more recent Serious Sam.
While the game’s official expansion, Battle Out of Hell was pretty meh, Painkiller is all set to get yet another sequel of sorts in the form of Painkiller Overdose.
Painkiller Overdose started off as a fan-made mod, but it soon caught the interest of publisher Dreamcatcher, who decided to support it financially. This single and multiplayer demo lets you play as the new lead character, Belial, as he blasts through hordes of twisted oddities in true Painkiller style.
To grab the moderately sized demo (732 MB), head over to our downloads section. If you want to know more about the game, make for the official site.
Beat Valve at Their Own Game
Valve’s giving all Team Fortress 2 owners a chance to kick their ass in a friendly event that celebrates the launch of Team Fortress 2 for the Xbox 360 (no love for PC owners?)
The match will be on Friday, October 19 from 3-7 pm PDT (approx. 3:30-7:30 am IST on Saturday). Here are the gamer tags you’ll need to add to your friends' list:
gamewithdev1 (Matt W.- Level Designer)
ValveArtist1 (Matthew S. - Artist)
ValveAnim (Matthew R. - Animator)
ValveProg1 (Vitaliy - Programmer)
ValveProg2 (Adrian - Programmer)
ValveProg3 (Kerry - Programmer)
ValveProg4 (Robin - Programmer)
ValveProg5 (Jim - Programmer)
ValveLevelDes2 (Dave - Level Designer)
ValveArtist2 (Nick - Artist)
ValveLevelDes3 (Scott - Level Designer)
ValveProg6 (David - Programmer
For more information regarding this event, head right here.
TimeShift Goes Gold
Sierra’s much delayed shooter that has players manipulating time has finally gone gold and should hit stores for the Xbox360, PS3, and PC by October 30.
players to master time to become the ultimate weapon. Armed with the experimental time-manipulating Beta Suit and a huge arsenal of weaponry, players have the ability to slow, stop and reverse the flow of time, allowing them to control several aspects of each battle sequence and puzzle situation. Intuitive time controls give the player the ultimate advantage in strategic attacks used to outsmart the enemy.
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Hits Stores
If skating games are your kinda thing you’ll be glad to know Tony Hawk’s latest skating game, Proving Ground, is now available.
Set in the streets of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., Tony Hawk's Proving Ground features an arsenal of amazingly detailed Nail the Trick moves, including Nail the Grab and Nail the Manual for total board control, and new gameplay mechanics like skateable terrain building and the Aggro Kick for intense action. In addition, the title enables gamers to seamlessly skate from single player to multiplayer online.
THPG will make its way to Indian stores by November 2 for the PS2, Xbox360, and PS3.
BioShock to get Downloadable Content
In a post-release interview with Games for Windows, Ken Levine of 2K Boston (formally Irrational Games) revealed plans of expanding the experience of BioShock through downloadable content.
By this he didn’t exactly mean you’re going to enjoy an expanded campaign; his plans are just to enhance the gameplay to warrant another replay. In his own words:
"Diablo II, to me, was a great model for an expansion, because it enhanced the original game, but also extended the game too. I'm not a really big fan of expanding things just by linearly adding to the experience, adding a new campaign, as much as I am of enhancing the original experience and adding replayability to that experience.
"I think that certainly BioShock's combat experience is great, but it could be broader. I'm a little more confused as far as how to expand the narrative experience."
Ken also mentioned that "a lot of plasmids got cut" during the game’s development cycle, so you can expect to see a few new ones the next time you journey through Rapture. There’s no date or any additional information about the DLC, but we’ll keep you posted when we hear something.
Guitar Hero 3 Xbox 360 Demo Available
ShackNews is offering a downloadable copy of the Guitar Hero 3 demo that isn’t available on the Xbox Live Marketplace yet. The demo will be available on XBLM soon, but if you're desperate to play the game you can download the demo from their site and burn it on a DVD to play the following tracks:
"Lay Down" – Priestess
"Even Flow" – Pearl Jam
"The Metal" – Tenacious D
"Hit Me With Your Best Shot" – as made famous by Pat Benatar
"Rock You Like A Hurricane" – as made famous by the Scorpions
The demo file size is 421 MB and you can download it here. If you own a guitar controller, download the demo to get a feel of the game
Sony PS3 Now Cheaper By $100
Sony Corp. on Thursday cut the price of its PlayStation 3 game console in the U.S. and announced an even cheaper model that will arrive before the holiday shopping season.
The top-line PlayStation model, with an 80 gigabyte hard drive, now costs $499, down from $599. That effectively eliminates the lower-end model, which has a 60-gigabyte drive and has sold for $499.
A new low-end model with a 40-gigabyte drive will go on sale Nov. 2 for $399.
Unlike the other PlayStation 3 models, the new one won't be able to play games made for the PlayStation 2. In a statement, Sony said this was due to a more extensive lineup of games of the PlayStation 3.
The U.S. launch of the 40-gigabyte model was widely expected, since Sony has already announced it for Japan and Europe. It narrows the price gap with competing game consoles, but the PlayStation is still the most expensive.
Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 costs $350 and Nintendo Corp.'s Wii costs $250. The PlayStation 3 has been trailing them both in U.S. sales, and the Wii has been a breakout hit for Nintendo, with more than 9 million units shipped. Sony has sold 5 million PlayStation 3s since they went on sale in November last year.
Hellgate London Demo Out Now
If you’re excited about Flagship Studios’ Hellgate London, you’ll be glad to know that you can finally download a demo of the game, which is due for release on October 31 in the US and on November 2 in the UK.
The Indian release date hasn’t been announced yet, but we’ll get it soon. In the meanwhile, why don’t you guys check out the demo?
Here’s what you can expect:
In the first premiere demo, players choose from two of Hellgate: London's six characters: the swashbuckling melee action of the Blademaster or long-range killing action of the Marksman. Once selected, the gamers available carve their way through a sample of the storyline centered around the street and tunnels near Holborn Station.
Microsoft Unveils Xbox360 Diwali Offers
In a bid to push Xbox 360 sales this Diwali, Microsoft are rolling out three exclusive offers to gamers all over India.
Xbox 360 offers a treat for Indian consumers with its "Super Stylish Super Saver offer" Рbring home with you a Xbox 360 Core console, and two popular games - Viva Pi̱ata & Forza Motorsport 2 with Panasonic LE7 & LX 70 32" LCD TVs. The offer is available at Ezone and Big Bazaar Stores and rolls out from 20th October 2007.
This offer will set you back by around 50,000 and you’ll save over Rs 24,000 on the entire deal!
Next up are your run of the mill bundles that go something like this:
Buy an Xbox 360 Core console and get 2 blockbuster games worth Rs 4,405 absolutely free [Viva Piñata & Forza Motorsport 2]
Buy an Xbox 360 Pro console and get 4 blockbuster games worth Rs 8,614 absolutely free [Viva Piñata, Forza Motorsport 2, PGR 3 & Yuvraj Singh International cricket 2007].
These two mega offers roll out on 25th October 2007.
While I appreciate the effort (especially the LCD offer), I’m sure MS could bundle some better games instead of the above mentioned ones.
Moser Baer Launches Optical Disk Drives
Moser Baer has announced the launch of its Optical Disk Drive (ODD) i.e. Combo drive and DVD writer, marking the company's foray into the PC peripherals industry. Moser Baer in partnership with Taiwan’s Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions Corp., has launched the ODDs in India in the name of “Moser Baer - Lite-on”.
Moser Baer now plans to extend into the fast-growing PC peripherals market in India, given its credibility among drive manufacturers. The company plans to enter this market by launching products in five metros and create a niche for itself.
"The launch complements our existing optical media business and we are hoping that by leveraging our established strong brand equity we will emerge as a front-runner with a significant market share in this segment too," said Bhaskar Sharma, executive vice president, Moser Baer India Ltd.
"It has been our constant endeavor at Moser Baer to reach out to our potential and existing target customers with high quality products in various segments. We see a lot of potential and latent demand in the PC peripheral market in India and I am sure Moser Baer will carve a niche for itself in this segment too,” said Deepak Puri, CMD, Moser Baer India Limited.
Currently the IT vertical industry (PCs and notebooks) is pegged at Rs 20,000 crore and the PC peripheral industry is worth Rs 12,000 crore. Moser Baer with its entry into the ODD Market plans to capture 20% market share of the present market size of five lakh units per month.
Moser Baer is already a major player in the USB Drives and Memory Cards market. Its latest endeavor into PC peripherals will further help in strengthening its position is the industry. The move is seen as a logical extension to its existing strategy in India. Moser Baer clearly intends to position itself as a major player in the PC peripheral industry as well, with more IT products in the pipeline poised to enter the market.
G.Skill Introduces New DDR3 RAM Modules
Memory maker G.Skill has announced a new DDR3-based memory module that is aimed at power users and enthusiasts. This new pair comes with specifications of l DDR3-1600 CL7 memory and latency timings of 7-7-7-19 and is optimized for Intel’s latest chipsets. The new memory modules are available with a lifetime warranty.
No details of pricing and availability as of now.
Fujitsu Offers Palmsecure Biometric Mouse
Keeping in mind the increasing use of online banking and other financial transactions on a PC, Fujitsu has released its Palmsecure mouse, which packs in a palm vein biometric authentication sensor.
This mouse comes with a login-based authentication system, which eliminates the need of using IDS and passwords. Logging into the PC is now as simple as just holding your palm over the mouse. Once the data of your palm vein pattern is confirmed, it will allow you to proceed further.
This kind of authentication can be easily used for numerous applications, such as IT return programs and other financial based products.
The Palmsecure mouse is also available without the sensor, and ships in black, white and gray. Prices are not available as of now.
Sony to Ship New Blu-ray Recorders in Japan
November will see a thrust of Blu-ray gear in Japan as Sony plans to ship four new Blu-ray disc recorders into the Japanese market. The company says its new models “offer strengthened functionality to give improved performance in the key areas of high picture and sound quality, long-duration recording, and easy operation.”
The models are BDZ-T70 and BDZ-T50. One features a 320GB drive and the other 250GB, while the 500GB BDZ-X90 (pictured) is optimized for home theatre use and features DRC-MFv2 picture enhancement. The 320GB BDZ-L70 joins the X90 model in offering network connectivity.
Price will range from 140,000 yen to 200,000 yen. It’s predicted that the Japanese market will see sales of 2 million HD recorders annually by 2009. The Indian market for HD disc recorders is currently nonexistent, but we should see the advent of HD formats in a big way early next year.
Toshiba to Launch 3rd Gen HD-DVD Players
Toshiba is not stopping for anyone. It's been only short a while since their second-generation HD-DVD players were released. The latter have yet to hit the Indian market, but Toshiba is making things even more dynamic by planning the launch of its third generation HD-DVD players at CEDIA next month.
The three models (HD-A3, HD-A30 and HD-A35) will retail for $299, $399 and $499 respectively, and will be available from October 1. The high-end models will be full HD, capable of 1080p.
Nonprofit Group Hikes Price of $100 Laptop
A nonprofit group that plans to produce low-cost computers for poor children has raised the laptops' price, a spokesman for the foundation said on Friday.
The One Laptop per Child Foundation's XO laptop will sell for about $188, up from the $176 the group announced in May, said foundation spokesman George Snell.
That's almost double the original goal of the foundation's founder, Nicholas Negroponte, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher and the brother of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.
Negroponte, who founded the MIT Media Lab, often refers to the product as the "$100 laptop."
Production is slated to begin in October.
"We are testing it. We are making sure all the software works," he said. "We are making all the corrections on it that need to be made before the product comes out."
The foundation plans to sell the computers directly to governments, which will provide the laptops to grammar school children at no cost.
It has yet to announce any customers.
"We are not disclosing any orders until we have a final computer," Snell said. "We are in talks with dozens of countries."
The foundation has said it may sell the laptop on the commercial market as well, though at a higher price. If the project is a success, it could pressure the rest of the computer industry to start offering similar machines.
The XO laptop uses a microprocessor from Advanced Micro Devices Inc and Linux software developed by Red Hat Inc. Microsoft Corp has said that it is testing the machines to determine whether they are capable of running its Windows operating system.
Chipmaker Intel Corp recently teamed up with the foundation saying the two might collaborate on a second generation version of the XO laptop.
Wacom Releases Two New Tablets
Famed tablet maker Wacom has released two new products which it calls Bamboo and Bamboo fun. The first is targeted at digital photography fans; the latter is being positioned for normal home users. Both products come with four hotkeys for quick access to user-defined shortcuts, finger-sensitive Touch Ring and battery-free pen with programmable buttons.
The two tablets also come with a mouse , software packages such as as Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter Essentials, and Nik Color Efex Pro. They are available in black, silver, white and blue for $100 and $200 depending on size.
Razer Launches Pro|Click Series of Mice
be expanding market reach with its latest release. The company has introduced its new series of Pro|Click mobile mice, which are aimed at laptop users.
The new mice have been designed to provide "precision and mobility in constrained spaces – all without the burden and hassle of a mouse wire". They are Bluetooth 2.0 enabled and come with a 1200 DPI optical sensor.
The mice will be available from mid-October for $50 in four colors – black, white, pink, and red.
Quadriplegics Can Operate PCs with Chin
People paralyzed below the neck now can work on computers with their chin, thanks to a special 'chin stick' developed by the Indian Spinal Injury Centre (ISIC).
The chin stick is made of aluminum, with a long finger-like pointer that's used to hit the keyboard. It has an adjustable knob. It is attached to the chin and the head with a detachable strap that goes over the ears.
"Besides treatment, ISIC believes in vocational rehabilitation of our patients. The chin stick is just a step in that direction," said Divya Parashar, head of the department of rehabilitation psychology.
"The device is a simple and cost-effective tool for those paralyzed below the neck. At least 20 people have tested it and three software engineers are using it," said Nekram Upadhyay, a rehabilitation engineer at ISIC.
"The cost is less than Rs.100 but it's a utility device with lifelong validity," he added.
Engineers sit with patients, their family members, doctors and psychologists to customize the chin stick, according to the specific needs of each user.
The ISIC is a private specialty hospital, operational since 2000. Heading it is Major (Retd.) H.P.S. Ahluwalia, who is himself wheelchair-bound but has scaled Mount Everest.
Parashar said tetraplegic patients, whose all four limbs are paralyzed, tend to rue their plight and often become suicidal. If they are educated, it becomes very difficult for them to accept life after a major spinal cord injury.
"I had a 26-year-old patient who was a computer engineer. He had sustained major spinal cord injury in an accident. During his rehabilitation I found him depressed. But he would get excited at the sight of a computer. I am sure such patients will find the chin stick a lifeline," she said.
Fujitsu to Unveil New UMPC - Lifebook U810
According to news that's been reported here, Fujtisu is all set to unveil a new UMPC – the Lifebook U810 – that has some impressive specifications on offer.
The Lifebook U810 is based on an Intel Ultra Mobile platform 2007, comes with an 800MHz Intel A110 processor, 945GU Express Chipset, 1GB DDR2 RAM, WSVGA display sporting 1024 x 600 resolution, 40GB 4200rpm hard drive, Bluetooth, fingerprint reader, 0.3 mega pixel (640 x 480) webcam, a/b/g wireless, docking cradle, and Vista/XP Tablet PC Edition 2005.
The price of this beauty starts at $1000 and it will be available in stores shortly.
Asus Launches New Ultraportable Laptop
Asus has released its latest ultraportable, the U1F, for discerning consumers in the Indian market. The laptop sports a shining lacquer-finished surface, has a breathtaking 0.5cm ultra-slim LCD panel, and comes with a leather-bound palm rest for increased comfort.
The U1F’s screen adopts a special LED backlit panel that is half the width of (and a third lighter than) conventional LCD panels. It operates with lower power consumption, and offers better luminance as well as faster response time.
The laptop features a high-resolution webcam module, which is one of the smallest lenses available. Wireless connectivity is ensured thanks to the U1F’s built-in WLAN 802.11 a/b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 enhanced data rate for high-speed Internet access and data transfer.
The extended battery life ensures better productivity. Asus Power4 Gear eXtreme power management extends battery life by up to 20-25%, offering reliable and continuous operation.
This cost of the laptop is Rs. 1,35,000.
Specifications:
11.1 WXGA (Color Shine) TFT
Intel Core 2 Duo U7500 (1.06G) CPU
100 GB HDD + TPM
1.5 GB DDR II, 667 MHz RAM
External DVD Super-Multi Drive
Windows Vista Business OS
Intel 945GM Chipset
128 MB integrated VRAM
0.35 M webcam + fingerprint reader
802.11a/b/g WLAN + inbuilt Bluetooth
6 Cell x 1+3 Cell x 1 Li-Ion battery packs
Bluetooth mouse + protection bag + ASUS gift box + ASUS ultraportable Wireless Access Point
1 kg weight (with 3-cell battery pack)
8-in-1 card reader
Virtual Surround from Final Sound
The Cedia Expo, held September 5-9 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, is where all the A/V action is at this time of the year. And this month will see the release of a high-end product from Final Sound solutions: a 2.1 Stereo and Virtual Surround Sound receiver.
The package includes a DVD Receiver (shown in pic) with 75W class D, Dolby Virtual Surround DSP and complete AV switching module HDMI in and out, universal remote etc. This can go with Final Sound speakers such as the 901, 150i etc.
The virtual surround effect is created with only two front speakers and a subwoofer by processing the signal coming (for instance) from a 5.1 DVD. The processing of the signal is based on the Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) Algorithm.
The company has incorporated a DSP algorithm that processes the signal from the DVD receiver, which works like this:
The front signal speaker signal comes straight through the front speakers, unprocessed.
The center speaker function is created by applying the HTRF algorithm on the center speaker signal coming from the DVD playing through the front speakers, which results in a virtual center channel – theoretically in the middle of the two speakers.
The surround speaker functions are created by applying the HTRF algorithm on the surround speaker function coming from the DVD playing through the front speakers by applying of a time delay, a phase shift, and a comb filter function through the algorithm. This results in an effect of two virtual surround speakers positioned to the left and the right of the consumer.
Sony Vaio Introduces Maya Hayuk Series
Sony has been rolling out a lot of VAIO releases over the last few months. The latest to join this rash of releases is the new 15.4 inch FZ laptops. These new machines come with surprisingly funky designs and feature a graphic splash on their bodies. Sony is calling these laptops the Vaio Graphic Splash Maya Hayuk Notebook and releasing it in two models namely the 'Grow' and 'Neverstop'.
Sony goes on to say, "The Grow edition captures the feel of an organic forest with deep green, blue and purple flower-growing wildly across the top of the notebook while 'Never Stop' is a colorful, kaleidoscopic design that is decked in interlacing lines and spherical shapes."
Nvidia Introduces IGP for Intel Platform
Nvidia, whose integrated graphical chipsets dominate the AMD market, has now turned its eye towards greener pastures with the release of its GeForce 7 series of integrated solutions for Intel platforms.
The new series is designed for a wide range of Intel processors, including Celeron, Pentium, the Core 2 family, and the upcoming 45nm Intel Penryn.
The single chip solution also supports HDMI or DVI output to enable playback of protected digital content directly from the PC to high-definition televisions and other displays.
"Integrated graphics are no longer good enough for mainstream applications," said Drew Henry, general manager of MCP business at Nvidia. "Windows Vista has opened consumers' eyes to an entirely new visual experience. We're ecstatic that our customers will now be able to harness the power of Nvidia graphics and application compatibility, and have an exceptional PC experience no matter what their price budget or intended application usage is."
Solutions incorporating this new release will be available soon.
Toshiba Unveils X205 SLI Equipped Laptops
Toshiba looking to extend its presence in the high-end laptop market has just unveiled 2 new laptops that feature SLI for enhanced graphical performance. The two models that have been introduced are the Satellite X205-SLI1 and Satellite X205-SLI3. Both of these laptops are 17" notebooks packed with Core 2 Duo processors and 2GB of DDR2 memory. The X205-SLI3 sports a 2.2GHz processor and a native resolution of 1650x1050, while the X205-SLI1 has a 2.0GHz processor and a 1440x900 native resolution.
For the graphics of these laptops Toshiba has thrown in a dual NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT mobile GPUs, which run in SLI mode and come with a combined 512MB of memory for the fastest possible graphical performance that can be achieved. Apart from this, Toshiba has also included an HD DVD/DVD burner on both machines as well as an HDMI-out port, Harman Kardan 5.1 surround sound, Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965AGN networking, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, embedded webcam and a biometric fingerprint scanner. The X205-SLI3 even comes bundled with an USB HDTV tuner.
"Toshiba’s addition of NVIDIA SLI technology to their gaming notebooks further demonstrates their commitment to delivering the ultimate entertainment experience to gamers on the go," said NVIDIA Notebook GPU general manager Rene Hass.
The X205-SLI3 is expected to retail at $2,499.99 and the Satellite X205-SLI1 will cost $1999.
Fujitsu Unveils New UMPC - Lifebook U1010
Fujitsu has released its UMPC - the LifeBook U1010 for the Indian market. The LifeBook U1010 weighs just over half a kilogram and comes with a lightweight, 0.3mm glass LCD screen. It also packs in newly designed, ultra slim 0.2mm aluminum plated QWERTY keyboard, which does not add to the device's weight or thickness.
The device also features convertible, swivel form factor, which gives the flexibility of using the LifeBook U1010 like a hand-held, tablet or notebook PC. It is also packed with a suite of security features that secures data with the help of the Trusted Platform Module support and 2-level BIOS lock. The LifeBook U1010 is able to achieve incredible battery life as it runs on Intel’s latest Ultra Mobile Platform 2007, which has the lowest power consumption for optimized battery life
"Fujitsu is constantly redefining the boundaries of technology and with the birth of the LifeBook U1010, we have once again placed ourselves in a distinct niche. By marrying exquisite form factor with powerful functions, our very first tablet-convertible UMPC will create waves in the market. We have not only managed to create a fun product to cater to the leisure side of our consumers, we’ve also added a serious element to it – a mobile workstation for active professionals who are constantly on the move. What more can you ask for? Once you’ve experienced the U1010, you wouldn’t want to let it go!" said Hanson Yap, Associate Product Manager.