VG Theory Productions

Awsome now I can get some homebrew on my 2.70 PSP. I have played two SNES games on it so far. There is an downgrader, but it is still…uh “buggy.” I don’t want to risk my PSP to bricking.

eLoader Version 0.99 brings us this. Read on.

The major new feature is support for v2.70 and v2.71 firmwares. That’s right, full support for these 2 firmwares is now added, using a new kernel-mode syscall-finding technique (which is why 2.80 support is not yet possible).

As well as support for the v2.7 firmwares, there is also limited kernel mode support on v2.5-v2.71. This means that the .init program section (which contains functions declared with the ‘constructor’ attribute) will be called in kernel-mode for homebrew built with the kernel mode attribute. Note that you cannot create kernel-mode threads from the init functions in this release, due to security checks in the firmware.

The increased kernel access has also allowed us to add a built-in exception handler to eLoader, so that crashes can be caught and debugged more easily, as well as usually preventing the need to reboot.

LINK

“Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my duty as Community Manager of Game Overdrive to inform you of something terrible. It has begun. In a stunningly unprovoked move, Iceland has started the end. It’s bombing of Denmark over their relationship with Sweden caused Britain to have to back childhood friend Denmark up by leveling Reykjavik. Having been looking for a reason to get back at Britain since that prom night mishap, Spain responded with a bombing of Liverpool. America was involved after that and well, you get the picture. In approximately 7 days, we will be engulfed in complete nuclear winter. What will it look like you ask? Well, you tell me.

For this contest, take any painting or photograph of the outside world, and use whatever picture editing software you use to simulate nuclear winter. Extra points for the usage of well known art as the source image. The prize? The ability to play out situations such as the one above in DEFCON. Many will enter, one will survive.

-Ben Halpern
Community Manager
Game Overdrive”

For details on the contest, visit the information page to see how to enter and win!

Nintendo is finally ready to unveil the juicy details of their plans for the Revolution launch. Whilst perusing IGN at two in the morning(as I am often apt to do, as mentioned in another rant), I happened upon an article detailing much of the information that I have wanted to know about the upcoming launch of the new Nintendo. As I read the entry, however, my excitement for the new console was somewhat tempered. Frankly, I think they have slipped up just a “wee” little bit(hah…hah…ha…).

(continue reading…)

The word is out. Nintendo is finally ready to announce the launch details that it has been avoiding for months now. Read for yourselves:

Nintendo fans finally have a price and release date for the company’s new generation console, Wii. The Big N is set to officially announce that the system will hit retail in North and South America for $250 on November 19. The New York Times published with the story and seems, in fact, to have beaten Nintendo Co. Ltd with the news.

Nintendo’s Wii console will come packaged with one Wii remote, one nunchuck attachment, an AC adapter, an audio/video cable, a sensor bar, sensor bard stand, a Wii console stand and two batteries. The US package will also come bundled with a copy of Wii Sports, a compilation sports game that best shows off the mechanics of the system’s unique controller. Wii Sports features tennis, baseball, golf and previously unannounced bowling and boxing games.

Nintendo said it would provide Wii owners with more than 25 unique games this year.

Wii’s much talked-about Virtual Console download service, which enables gamers to purchase classic games, will offer a library of some 30 titles when the system launches. Titles will include entries from the Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong franchises, Nintendo said. Virtual Console games will cost between $5 and $10 each. Specifically, Nintendo Co. Ltd. announced that Virtual Console games would cost 500 yen ($5), 800 yen ($8) or 1,000 yen ($10); we’re presuming these prices are for NES, SNES and N64 games respectively.

The Big N confirmed that it would charge $50 for its new Wii games, which is $10 cheaper than the cost of typical Xbox 360 titles. (Please note that this is First-Party games, prices have not been announced for Third-Part Wii games — publishers are free to set their own prices on Wii titles.)

Nintendo Co. Ltd. revealed that Wii’s various controllers would be available to buy separately at launch. The Wii remote will cost 3800 yen or about $40; the nunchuck 1800 yen or about $20 and the classic controller 1800 yen or about $20.

In a surprise announcement, Nintendo said that it wanted to make Wii a living room centerpiece by shipping the system with features outside of the videogame realm. Wii will include a photo channel, enabling users to display their digital photos through the console. It will also boast regularly updated news and weather channels. In addition, the system will ship with the Opera Web browser, enabling users to connect online.

One of the channels available on Wii is called the “Mii Channel.” Here, players can customize avatars by selecting from a variety of face shapes, hair styles, color schemes, and so on. The hook is that these avatars can not only be stored on the console itself, they can also be transfered to the Wii remote itself — presumably so players can easily access their personalized characters and take them with them when playing against friends.

Sony recently announced that it would ready 400,000 PS3s in North America and another 100,000 in Japan for the system’s launch. Nintendo said it plans to ship 4 million Wii units worldwide by the end of the year.

Nintendo will launch Wii in Japan on December 2 of this year for 25,000 yen, it revealed. North America will get the system first.

Expect an editorial soon…

IGN: US Wii Price, Launch Date Revealed

According to the industry trade magazine MCV, the highly anticipated Nintendo console is set to debut in Europe on the 24th of November, with a price tag of £149. After a quick google, that appears to convert to about $282 in US dollars.

Nintendo will release the Wii in Europe by 24 November for £149, according to games industry trade magazine MCV. The paper also claims there will be enough consoles to cater for demand both at launch and during the busy Christmas period.

The news comes ahead of Nintendo’s official European announcement, which is expected to made at a London event next Friday. When asked about the possible price and release date Nintendo commented: “We know that everyone is as excited as we are about the pending launch of Wii and as a result there is a lot of speculation and rumours. We ask people to be patient as all will be revealed in due course.”

So, not totally confirmed, but I think it’s fairly plausible. I must admit, i’m far more curious about the US price and release date, myself.

IGN: Wii: November 24 for £149?

Turns out the ‘Wiimote’ rumble story I commented on yesterday was innacurate. See for yourself.

No Wii Remote rumble? Kittsy spotted that I’d made a mess of page 15 just after we finished the mag. It was too late to correct and resend the page to the printers (apparently yelling “Hold the presses!” doesn’t actually result in boiler-suited workmen running about like mad and machinery grinding to a halt). So we forget about it, assuming the worst that might happen is that a few readers might write in to point and laugh at our mistake. Of course, now it’s all over the internet. And we look very silly indeed. So, to clarify: the Wiimote does have a rumble. And a speaker. Shigsy isn’t going to kick out either feature (as far as we know). DON’T PANIC.

It’s actually refreshing to see a major publication such as NGamer admit to making a mistake and take it so light-heartedly.

Wii Rumble Not Dead After All – Kotaku

According to Joystiq, NGamer magazine was privy to some interesting tidbits regarding Nintendo’s upcoming console.

NGamer also reports that the Wii sensor bar is now “50% smaller … a little bigger than a couple of pencils glued together” and tosses in a few tidbits about the Wiimote, including its 30–60 hour battery life (with AAs) and ability to store a small amount of data, roughly 6KB, internally. One sour detail reveals that Virtual Console’s DRM will prevent gamers from playing their downloaded titles on a friend’s Wii.

I am still disappointed somewhat that the ‘Wiimotes’ won’t, or are unlikely to, ship with built-in rechargable batteries. It would be great to pop your controller into a charge dock when you aren’t playing. C’est la vie. The mention of Nintendo’s DRM has me curious. So far, Nintendo is limiting your ability to try out downloaded games on a friends console.

On the one hand, Nintendo doesn’t want players to just share the games left and right so that gamers don’t have to buy games from them. That’s fair. What sucks is that taking games over to play on a friend’s system at a friend’s house is one of the cornerstones of the very industry. Since when was showing off games a bad thing? I always thought it meant new players would get to try out new games, and if they happen to like it, they would buy the games.

I’m disturbed by it, frankly, but not surprised in the least.

Wii-DS link-play confirmed for Spore, plus new Wii info in latest NGamer – Joystiq

I think the image says it all. For the record, the action figures are from Neon Genesis Evangelion. And notice that Sega is the company behind this one.

I think the next step is making fully anatomically correct action figures. How’s that for a disturbing concept?

Sega Makes Hard Top-Heavy Toys Soft – Kotaku

I caught this one on Kotaku, and the concept disturbs me greatly.

Nevertheless, according to this scan from the UK magazine NGame, Rumble is entirely out in the Wii. The much tiny speaker has replaced it in the design and they even quote Shigeru Miyamoto.

Assuming this is true, it means that we get a speaker instead of force feedback? Are you kidding? Screw that. Given the choice between a speaker and a rumble pak, I’d choose rumble. Games like Resident Evil 4 show that good force feedback really does add to the atmosphere. With game possibilities on the Revolution, it’s a crying shame if rumble is out. What fun is playing a light-gun game if the gun doesn’t rumble when you shoot it? I can understand why the NES Zapper didn’t have one, but this is just rediculous. Follow the link for further info.

Wii Rumble Dead? – Kotaku

It seems that the NRA has a new video game coming out. I have to admit, this one was way out of left field.

NRA Gun Club, a target shooter for the Playstation 2, will include more than 100 firearms, 12 settings, 15 challenges and competitive play for up to eight gamers.

“In keeping with the NRA mission, this game tests marksmanship in a sporting environment and emphasizes responsible use of firearms. This is a fun and exciting game, challenging all ages and all levels of firearms proficiency” says Mike Marcellin, Managing Director of the National Rifle Association.

Is it just me, or does the thought of playing a target shooting game on the PS2 sound downright moronic? Accurate shooting and analog sticks have never been in the same sentence before, in any PS2 games, and I doubt it will change for this game. Given the nature of the Revolution, I can’t help but think that, conceptually speaking, this NRA target shooting game would work out far better on Nintendo’s console.

NRA Licensed Game – Kotaku