Do Not Use Your PS3
If you own an original, fat model PS3, then Sony is suggesting you stop using it for a period of 24 hours while the company institutes a fix for a problem plaguing PS3s worldwide.
If you haven’t experienced the problem yourself, here is what is reported to occur: When you try to go online or boot up certain games, the system displays “Error: 8001050F,” and it endlessly reboots, rendering the games/online functionality unplayable. Complaints about the error have apparently begun pouring in since Sunday, and Sony has indicated that the flaw is related to clock functionality in the fat-model PS3. Sony does not believe that the error is affecting PS3 Slim models.
Oddly enough, the flaw has reportedly affected retail display models and titles currently in production for the PS3.
So in the mean time, Sony is suggesting that you stay off your PS3 until a fix is instituted. From Sony:
“As you may be aware, some customers have been unable to connect to the PlayStation Network today. This problem affects the models other than the new slim PS3.
We believe we have identified that this problem is being caused by a bug in the clock functionality incorporated in the system.
Errors include:
* The date of the PS3 system may be re-set to Jan 1, 2000.
* When the user tries to sign-in to the PlayStation Network, the following message appears on the screen; “An error has occurred. You have been signed out of PlayStation Network (8001050F)”.
* When the user tries to launch a game, the following error message appears on the screen and the trophy data may disappear; “Failed to install trophies. Please exit your game.”
* When the user tries to set the time and date of the system via the Internet, the following message appears on the screen; “The current date and time could not be obtained. (8001050F)”
* Users are not able to playback certain rental video downloaded from the PlayStation Store before the expiration date.
We hope to resolve this problem within the next 24 hours. In the meantime, if you have a model other than the new slim PS3, we advise that you do not use your PS3 system, as doing so may result in errors in some functionality, such as recording obtained trophies, and not being able to restore certain data.
As mentioned above, Please be advised that the new slim PS3 is not affected with this error. We are doing our best to resolve the issue and do apologize for any inconvenience caused.
For the latest status on this situation please check either the PlayStation blog (blog.us.playstation.com) or PlayStation.com.”
Source: Kotaku.
Quake III Now Available for Android Mobile Phones
If you’re an Android owner and happen to be sick to death of hearing about great iPhone games, you can now rest a little easier as the classic Quake III is now available. You’ll find everything you want, including audio, keyboard input (or touch screen or trackball), OpenGL 3D rendering, networking and ARM optimization.
Installation:
- Download the kwaak3.apk from the download section and install it on your phone. (Note you need at least Android 1.6)
- Create a directory quake3 in the root of your sdcard and also create a baseq3 directory inside it.
- Copy pak0.pk3 of your Quake3 CD (or from the demo) to the quake3/baseq3 directory.
- Download the Quake3 1.32 point release and copy pak1-pak8.pk3 to quake3/baseq3
- Start the game
Monster Hunter 3: No Friend Codes Confirmed
We had heard for a little while that the North American and European versions of Monster Hunter 3 would likely not be hampered by Nintendo’s friend codes system. But now, thanks to statements by Nintendo’s sales and marketing EVP, Cammie Dunaway, we can officially confirm this rumor.
During Nintendo’s Q1 Media Summit in San Francisco this week, Dunaway confirmed the lack of a friend code requirement in the upcoming Capcom title for the Wii, stating, “We felt that this was the best way to deliver [Monster Hunter Tri].”
This means that not only will the title have free online play and text and voice-based chat (available through Wii Speak) when it arrives in the U.S. on April 20, but the game will allow you to group with anyone, and evidently, speak with anyone via text or even Wii Speak. Hello annoying 12-year-olds!
So why the exception to the usual rule of “make it free, make it easy, make it safe” in regards to Nintendo’s Wi-Fi Connection service? After all, friend codes were part of the keep it safe idea since they would “create an online environment free of harassment.” Without friend codes in place, I could very well run into this lovely kid.
Dunaway is quoted as saying, “With each title we’ll make the right determination.” So I guess that means if you have a good enough game Nintendo will let you fudge the rules a bit.
But Nintendo’s voice chat has an interesting feature: it’s based on a table top – er, TV top – microphone that picks up every nearby voice in the room. So let’s say a pre-pubescent little foul-mouth gets pissed at me for not killing that massive water-dwelling Lagiacrus and starts throwing out every available curse word in the English dictionary. Not only would his parents likely hear everything I say back, but I would hear everything his parents say him, including any subsequent scoldings and/or beatings. Youtube is going to love this.
I’ll report back in April with my findings on the unhampered voice chat soon to be flooded by Nintendo fans. We’ll see if they behave themselves any better than certain Xbox Live gamers, though I’m not holding my breath.
Source: Gamasutra.
Metroid: Other M Website Updated, Nintendo Reveals New Screenshots, Plot Setting
The official Metroid: Other M website has been slightly updated since we last viewed it. The previous piano background music has now been preceded by a one-line intro spoken by Samus herself, perhaps to prepare fans for the heavy use of voice acting in the upcoming game.
Though the website doesn’t give any additional information on the ambitious title that is set to shift between 2D and 3D gameplay on the fly, Nintendo has updated its separate game information page with tons of screenshots and important information on the game’s setting. From the game page:
“With voice acting and a rich story, players learn the engaging backstory of Samus as she weaves through an action-packed adventure aboard the Bottle Ship, a decommissioned space facility. As she hurtles into this new adventure, Samus will encounter her first mentor and Commanding Officer of the Galactic Federation, Adam Malkovich.”
Notable screenshots include images of Samus blasting enemies from a 2D view with quite a bit of depth to the background (apparently this is where 3D gameplay comes into play. Samus is supposed to be able to shift to a first-person perspective, perhaps to blast creatures in the background) as well as Samus being surrounded by Federation troopers and battling beside them.
Nintendo Release Dates Galore
Nintendo’s 2010 Media Summit is fully underway, and with it has come a wealth of information on upcoming games and the larger DSi model, the DSi XL. Here is a breakdown of the information from Nintendo’s press release:
- The DSi XL launches March 28 at an MSRP of $189.99. Will be available in both Burgundy and Bronze colors, and comes loaded with the following software: Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock, as well as two free applications: the Nintendo DSi Browser and Flipnote Studio. The system also includes the larger pen-like stylus.
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 launches May 23 for the Wii. Aside from Yoshi, the game will feature a drill that lets Mario tunnel through solid rock.
- Metroid: Other M launches June 27. Nintendo has confirmed that “While much of the game is reminiscent of 2-D side-scrollers, players can switch the perspective into 3-D at any time as they explore the twisting passages of a derelict space station and delve deep into a cinematic, never-before-told story of bounty hunter Samus Aran’s past. This new approach uses a new control scheme in which players use the Wii Remote controller held sideways to battle enemies and navigate the expansive, gorgeous environments in classic Metroid fashion, then aim at the screen with the Wii Remote pointer to blast foes in first-person and hunt the world for clues and hidden passages.”
- Nintendo will publish Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies in the Americas some time this summer.
- Monster Hunter 3 (Tri) will launch April 20. Free online has been confirmed, and Wii Speak support has been confirmed as well.
- Sin and Punishment 2, the sequel to the Japanese-only Nintendo 64 title, has been renamed Sin and Punishment: Star Successor. It will launch June 7 and feature international online leader boards.
- FlingSmash is a new Motion Plus-only title for the Wii launching this summer that “will test players’ Wii Remote skills as they bounce a ball-like hero through countless side-scrolling stages, combining the precision of racket sports with the unpredictable fun of pinball.”
- Picross 3D is launching for the DS on May 3 and will offer more puzzles to download via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection after launch.
- 100 Classic Books will launch for the DS on June 14 and will be highlighted by 100 works from authors such as William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Jane Austen, Mark Twain and more. Readers can adjust the size of text, place bookmarks and even download new content via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.
- Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands from Ubisoft will launch May 18 on both the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. As an added bonus, the Wii version of the game will exclusively include the 1992 Super NES version of the original Prince of Persia game.
- Disney Guilty Party is the official title of the first collaboration between Disney Interactive Studios and its recently acquired studio, Wideload Games. The mystery party game is set for release in the second half of 2010, exclusively for Wii.
- Majesco’s Nintendo DSi exclusive Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal uses incredible augmented reality technology through the Nintendo DSi Camera. Launching this October, the game lets players become a ghost hunter as they interact with the paranormal.Nintendo also announced a variety of games available to download directly to the Wii console from the Wii Shop Channel via the WiiWare service, and directly to the Nintendo DS via the DSi Shop and DSiWare services.
- Mega Man 10 launches on WiiWare March 1.
- Max & the Magic Marker launches on WiiWare March 8.
- Cave Story launches on WiiWare March 22.
- WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase launches on WiiWare March 29.
- Nintendo’s Art Style: light trax and Art Style: Rotozoa launch on WiiWare this Spring.
- Rage of the Gladiator will launch on WiiWare this spring and utilizes Motion Plus.
- And Yet it Moves launches this spring on WiiWare.
- Super Meat Boy launches this summer on WiiWare.
- Nintendo’s Photo Dojo launches on DSiWare this spring.
- Nintendo’s Metal Torrent launches on DSiWare this spring.
- Nintendo’s X-Scape launches on DSiWare this spring.
Dracula Never Sounded So Good
A truly dedicated Castlevania fan over at retro fan site The Castlevania Dungeon recently managed to attend the Castlevania Concert in Stockholm, Sweden, and filmed the performance for the rest of us non-Swedish shlubs to see.
Not since the free Super Smash Bros. Melee orchestral CD from Nintendo Power have I been this impressed with a live performance of video game music. As a fairly experienced vampire killer myself, I was able to recognize most every tune played in the videos. But perhaps you’re a newer fan to the series, or maybe you haven’t played the games in a while.
So how about a little test? Without cheating via Google search, can you tell recognize the name of each song and the game it’s pulled from? But don’t think it’s going to be easy, because some songs have been redone multiple times throughout the series, with each version having a distinctive sound. I’ll give you some hints.
Your first hint is for the video above. It’s the intro to a more “complete” version of a Castlevania game that was released only about a year after its incomplete predecessor.
Hint: the above video features some of the most classic and recognizable tunes from the early era of Castlevania. Every Castlevania fan should recognize them instantly. However, they are not the original versions. Can you guess which later games they are from?
Hint: the above video features major theme music from what newer Castlevania fans consider the greatest Castlevania game ever made, though us older fans don’t necessarily agree.
Hint: if you guessed the previous music, you can guess this one.
Hint: this theme is played at the beginning and end of the Angry Video Game Nerd’s favorite Castlevania game.
Hint: once again, if you guessed the previous music correctly, you will know this one.
Sony Admits the Obvious: PSPgo Launch Sucked
The PSPgo was a completely misguided project from Sony to revive their all-but-dead handheld. It failed to address key issues, like adding a second analog pad, and just didn’t have any compelling reason to exist. Seeing their handheld lose a ton of market share to Apple’s iPhone had to hurt and the PSPgo offered nothing in the way of competition. Hell, even the paltry amount of games available for the PSPgo suck.
While most of us have been very aware of Sony’s portable shortcoming, it appears their upper-management has finally removed their rose-colored glasses and are viewing reality for the first time:
“We wanted to find a way to give the consumers what they want, so if they didn’t want to go to a retailer they could stay at home and download [games and content]. And we were hoping really to eliminate the piracy issue. Did the PSPgo confuse [consumers]? Yeah, I think the higher price point didn’t help matters any either,” he admitted. “So we’re going back and re-communicating, and I’m sitting here looking at multiple decks on what we’re going to do this year. You’ll see a lot of things coming out from us to better educate and inform the consumer. All I can say is watch this space, because we’ll have answers to those questions.”
One thing hasn’t changed and that’s Sony’s ability to blame piracy as the cause of all of their problems instead of an inventory of compelling games on a well-designed portable, priced at a competitive level. Want my advice? Can the PSP altogether and create a device that blows the iPhone away…or will Sony sit around and let Microsoft do that instead?
MediaCoder Full Edition Gets Updated
I’m always on the hunt for the ultimate media encoder, something that will allow me to convert various movie formats for use on my Xbox 360, PS3 or iPhone. One of the better options is MediaCoder, as it supports just about everything you can think of. Better yet, it’s fast and stable, two key features I like in my media encoders. Oh, and it’s free!
MediaCoder received a nice little update this morning that fixes several issues, including:
[fix] MEncoder loading issue in some occasions
/> [fix] raw video encoding not usable bug
/> [fix] OGG not muxed in MKV issue
/> [fix] H.264 not muxed in F4V issue
/> [fix] Xvid in AVI fourcc issue
/> [fix] MKVMerge not working in x64 edition
/> [update] x264 r1442
Here are some of the key specs of MediaCoder:
Typical applications:
/> – Improving compression / reducing file size
/> – Converting from lossless/high-bitrate audio to low-bitrate audio to play with portable DAP
/> – Converting to device (mobile phone, PDA, MP4 player, PSP, VCD/DVD player)
/> – Extracting audio tracks from video clips
/> – Ripping CD/VCD/DVD
Supported source formats:
/> – Audio: MP3, OGG/Vorbis, AAC, MusePack, WMA, RealAudio, FLAC, WavPack, APE/APL, WAV
/> – Video: AVI (Xvid/DivX/H.264), MPEG1/2/4, QuickTime (mov), WMV/ASF, RealMedia (rmvb), MP4, Matroska (mkv)
/> CUE Sheets, CD, VCD, DVD
Supported target audio formats:
/> – Lossy: MP3, OGG/Vorbis, AAC, AAC+/Parametric Stereo, MusePack, WMA
/> – Lossless: FLAC, WavPack, Monkey’s Audio (APE), WMA Lossless, WAV
Supported target video formats:
/> – H.264, Xvid, DivX 4/5, MPEG1/2/4, H.263 etc.
Supported target container formats:
/> – AVI, MPEG, Matroska, MP4, PMP (PSP Media Player Format)
Sony Whips Out First 3D Compatible A/V Receiver
In the market for a new Audio/Visual receiver and want to make sure it will be future proof for at least a few years? Then look no further than the just announced Sony STR-DN1010, the company’s first 3D offering:
Featuring HDMI 1.4 3D pass-through technology, ample high-definition connectivity and compatibility with all of the latest Blu-ray Disc audio formats, the new STR-DN1010 AV receiver is designed to create a simple solution for controlling any high-definition or 3D capable home theater.
The 7.1 channel STR-DN1010 AV receiver (110 watts power per channel @8-Ohms, 1kHz, 1% THD) features full high-definition 1080/24p support and seven HD inputs in total (four HDMI and three component) allowing for connection to a wide variety of HD devices. The receiver’s HDMI 3D pass through technology supports 3D video from connected devices and passes them through to a 3D compatible high-definition television, while decoding high-resolution audio codecs.
The receiver also features an icon-driven menu system for simple device and content navigation and has the ability to upscale analog video sources to 1080p resolution via HDMI. The model also boasts a sleek piano black gloss design that matches Sony’s line of Blu-ray Disc players and televisions.
The STR-DN1010 is compatible with all advanced audio codecs, including Dolby TrueHD, dts-HD Master Audio and features wireless 2nd zone capabilities through Sony’s S-AIR wireless technology. With the addition of an S-AIR transmitter (model EZW-T100) and separate S-AIR speakers (sold separately), the receiver can also drive wireless audio in up to 10 additional rooms.
The STR-DN1010 receiver also features a Digital Media Port (DMP) input for simple connection to external sources including an iPod and iPhone (compatible DMP accessories required and sold separately) and is compatible with both Deep Color and x.v.Color.
The STR-DN1010 AV receiver will be available this June for about $500.
Jason Vandenberghe Lays Down the Law
As I eagerly/anxiously await next month’s upcoming release of Red Steel 2, I can’t help but become entranced not simply by the game’s amazing graphic style and promising Motion Plus utilization, but by the charisma and character of the game’s creative director, Jason Vandenberghe.
Every time I catch an interview of Vandenberghe, especially on video, I feel compelled to read it/watch it. Good – no, really great – game designers have a lot in common with great teachers. They intrigue you, they have personality, they are quite humorous, and they never quite answer questions they way you expect them to. I do not know yet if Vandenberghe is a great game designer or not, but like Miyamoto, he has a certain charm to his personality that leads me to believe he may possess such talent.
Though Vandenberghe was not involved in the creation of Red Steel 1, he did play it extensively, and he has openly stated that the game didn’t quite live up to gamers’ expectations. To me, making such an acknowledging remark is commendable as these days we are constantly being told that if a game didn’t sell well it was because the consumer “didn’t get it” or some other lame pass-the-buck excuse. It never seems to be the developer’s fault that a game doesn’t sell well.
In the video above, Vandenberghe offers some rather wise comments on gaming these days and the strange viewpoints people come up. As we all know, there is a large, noticeable debate occurring that Vandenberghe calls the “Is there a hardcore audience on the Wii” topic. Now, I have already offered my thoughts on this topic once before, but rather than repeatedly beat readers over the head with my opinion on the subject, I’ll just let Vandenberghe speak on the topic.
Vandenberghe astutely describes the entire debate as a religious war and says that he doesn’t take part in religious wars – it’s not really his thing. I couldn’t agree more. Vandenberghe states that games can sell on the Wii if they are good and offer experiences not available elsewhere. Of course, he also acknowledges that he may end up eating his own words a month from now if Red Steel 2 doesn’t sell well. But at least such a statement concedes that the success/failure of the game will be based largely on the developer – not the consumer.
You can catch the first part of this two-part interview here. I’ll be keeping my eye on all the Red Steel 2/Vandenberghe info I can get during the next month before the game’s release.
Top 10 Best Selling Games
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