You know, I'm not really sure what to think about Capcom's upcoming title Okami - on one hand, the game's beautiful and distinctive visual style makes me think that the game is going to be a must have for me, and most of the things I've seen of the game certainly seem to bear that out. Then there are other times when I see something in the game that just make me go "meh". I'm hoping that some of the lamer elements of the game I've seen (such as dodging giant rolling boulders) are going to be the exception and not the rule.

Rather than rambling on about this point, I'll let you see what I'm talking about - here's the E3 trailer for Okami - you'll probably come away with the some of the same thoughts I've expressed here.

Here's to hoping the game is as distinctive as it's art style. Okami is currently scheduled to be released exclusively for the Playstation 2 on September 20th, 2006.

As usual, no dice on getting the embedded video to show in the archives, so click here to see the video. 

Posted by nylatenite at 1:04 AM EDT

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Just when you thought retailers couldn't get any more sleazy, a story like this comes along. Kotaku is reporting that Circuit City is currently offering to "install" backwards compatibility on the Xbox 360 for the low, low sum of $28.99. Even worse, the in-store advertisement for this "wonderful" service is misleading as well - just take a look at some of the text;

"• Every game* will be playable in high definition.
• Every original Xbox game* will be upscaled to 720p and 1080i, and will take advantage of Xbox 360's anti-aliasing capabilities, delivering a picture that is clear and crisper than anything available on Xbox.

*Refer to the original Xbox games list to ensure compatibility on the Xbox 360." -Circuit City in-store ad for Xbox 360 backwards compatibility installation

Now then, for those of you who aren't familiar with the Xbox 360 backwards compatibility feature, here are some facts...

1. First and foremost, Xbox 360 backwards compatibility is FREE. Let me repeat this, Xbox 360 backwards compatibility is FREE. That's right, you log onto Xbox Live (or request the free disc from Microsoft if you don't have access to Live, or go to Xbox.com, download the files and burn them to CD/DVD yourself), put a supported original Xbox game in your 360, automatically get prompted for the BC emulator, download it and play. It's not hard and it sure as hell shouldn't cost $28.99.
2. "Every game will be playable in high definition" does not mean "Every Xbox 360 game is playable" - in fact, most Xbox games are NOT playable via backwards compatibility at this time.
3. Last time I checked, Circuit City wasn't Xbox.com - It seems pretty sleazy to make those kind of promises and then advise that the only way to get all the details is to access a website later. If you're not in the know, I'm quite sure you're not going to want to go home, read up on BC and then come back to the store to buy your 360 - and they know it.
4. Many games on the backwards compatibility list work, but do not work properly.

I can't wait for the consumer lawsuits to start rolling in on this one, because if ever there's been a case of deceptive advertising, this is it. Check out the original Kotaku article here for more details and click here for the official instructions on how to obtain and use the backwards compatibility feature on the Xbox 360. Oh, and if you work for Circuit City... shame on you!

Posted by nylatenite at 1:02 AM EDT

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ArsTechnica is reporting that Sony has officially confirmed what people have been saying all along about the low-end Playstation 3 model, namely that it will not be able to play most movies in the much hyped 1080p format. Here's why;

"As a result of Sony's decision to keep HDMI off the $499 PS3 model—likely as a cost-savings measure—those opting for the less-expensive console will effectively be left out of the 1080p goodness altogether. According to Sony, "copy-protected Blu-ray video discs can only output at 1080p using an HDMI cable connected to a device that is compatible with the HDCP standard." No HDMI cable, no 1080p. Sony here is not referring to the controversial Image Constraint Token for Blu-ray and HD DVD movies. Rather, they are referring to a provision in the AACS licensing agreement that strictly forbids 1080p output over anything but HDMI." - ArsTechnica

So just as it was for the "core" Xbox 360 and the "premium" model, there are plenty of reasons to shell out the additional $100 and go with the higher end model if you're going to be grabbing a Playstation 3 this holiday season. Check out the ArsTechnica article here for all the technical details.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:01 AM EDT

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In an interview with Gamespot, Ubisoft finally dropped the charade and officially confirmed that Assassin's Creed will be coming to the Xbox 360. According to Gamespot, the 360 version will be released simultaneously with the Playstation 3 version which should prove once and for all that the game has been in development on the 360 for some time, and thus validating many of the early reports from other sources that stated they had seen builds of Assassin's Creed on the 360.

For that reason, I don't think this bit of news can be taken as a sign that third party developers are abandoning the Playstation 3 or even a weakening in how third party developers view Sony - it's pretty clear that Assassin's Creed was supposed to be on the 360, and has probably been in production since before all of Sony's recent press fiascos. In other words, Assassin's Creed coming to the 360 isn't new, there was just something behind the scenes that was preventing the announcement - what it was is anyone's guess. (Though I'm guessing that somewhere along the way, money for an exclusivity window was mentioned and for whatever reason the deal fell through) For more details on the announcement, head over to the Gamespot article by clicking here.

Posted by nylatenite at 3:42 AM EDT

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After a few uncertain moments where Capcom hinted they could port Lost Planet over to other systems, Gamespot is reporting that Capcom has officially announced that Lost Planet is, and will remain, an Xbox 360 exclusive. Here's what Jun Tekeuchi, the producer of the game, had to say;

"Lost Planet is an exclusive Xbox 360 title. Typically when the development team sets out to create a game, we focus development of the title on a single platform and for Lost Planet that platform is the Xbox 360. We have no plans at this time of porting to or developing for another console as this would potentially dilute the final product." - Jun Takeuchi, Capcom

The big news comes a few questions later in the same article - apparently Capcom has been so startled by the sales of Dead Rising that they basically said they don't care if the 360 doesn't have a huge installed base in Japan.

"I think that the real concern is not the size of the Xbox 360 user base, but rather the close-minded tendencies of Japanese developers. Especially in recent years, many publishers are focusing their game development efforts more on the Japanese market with fewer and fewer publishers creating global development strategies.

Even with Japanese games released abroad, many publishers do not take those territories into consideration, even if the game has a very Japanese feel to it (we ourselves have been guilty of this until recently). This is often perceived as the developer just trying to reduce the amount of effort spent on development and forcing a game onto an unsuspecting market.

So, within this current industry atmosphere, we are looking at the global market and making decisions about what games to make based on the tastes of the consumers and gamers across the globe. Of course we wish there was a larger installed user base domestically in Japan, as do all Japanese developers and publishers. But the success of Dead Rising in America is proof that a Japanese developer/publisher can succeed globally with an Xbox 360 title." -- Jun Takeuchi, Capcom

When a Japanese developer comes out and says they don't care about the Japanese market, you know things are changing in the industry. Check out the Gamespot article here for more details on what Takeuchi had to say about Lost Planet.

Posted by nylatenite at 3:41 AM EDT

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Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb has announced that the Xbox Live Marketplace has now passed the 50 million download mark, which is somewhat amazing when you consider the 25 million mark was only passed some 3 months ago.

Along with that announcement, Hyrb also let the public in on some other interesting facts regarding the Xbox Live Marketplace and the Xbox Live service itself;

"The Xbox PR team just released some interesting data that I think some of you may find interesting. Check these numbers out!

• The Xbox Live Marketplace just passed 50 million downloads. That is double the 25 million mark from just three months ago.
• In the first week of Madden '07 releasing, Xbox Live members unlocked over 600,000 achivements and hosted more than 2-million hours of Madden gameplay.
• 'Texas Hold 'em' set a one day record as the fastest download item ever on the Marketplace. There were over 100 downloads a minute in the first 24-hours of release.

Other Xbox Live statistics:

• More than 50 million downloads of gaming and entertainment content from Xbox Live Marketplace to date
• Over 2 billion hours spent on Xbox Live by gamers across the globe since the launch of the Xbox Live online gaming network in November 2002
• More than 60 percent of Xbox 360 owners are connected to Xbox Live
• 1,300,000 text and voice messages are sent via Xbox Live every day. Currently totaling half a billion sent messages between the Xbox Live community per year, this figure is set to explode with the launch of the Xbox Live Vision camera on September 19, 2006 in the U.S.
• 65 per cent of all connected consoles already downloading and playing Xbox Live Arcade titles
• Over 8 million downloads of Xbox Live Arcade games following the launch of Xbox 360
• Over 2 billion Microsoft Points sold to date " -Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb

As Hyrb is a Microsoft employee who's very job is based on Xbox Live content delivery, I'd probably say some of that information may be a bit on the optimistic side. For example, does Microsoft really expect an explosion in the number of messages sent when the Xbox Live Vision camera hits stores on September 19th? Are people suddenly going to start sending more messages just because they have a camera?

Along the same lines, do the figures regarding Live and Live Arcade usage count time spent idle/doing something other than gaming on Live and demo downloads? As many Xbox 360 owners have their machines permanently connected to the internet, there's always a chance a lot of those reported "2 billion hours" spent on Xbox Live could have been times when 360 users simply had their console on to watch a movie or play music, not actually use the Live service.

Either way, it's some interesting data to look at, and it certainly shows the importance of Xbox Live when it comes to the Xbox 360. Looks like Microsoft is doing well in their goal of making Live an integral part of the 360 experience. Check out Major Nelson's blog at this link for the post regarding Live usage stats and all your Xbox Live information needs.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:52 AM EDT

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Joystiq is reporting that Ubisoft has confirmed that there will be a Windows version of Assassin's Creed. According to the article, not much beyond that confirmation was available from Ubisoft, and no date has been set for when exactly PC owners can expect to see the game. Rumors continue to swirl about there also being an Xbox 360 version of the game in the works, but Ubisoft has yet to confirm those reports.

Assassin's Creed is currently slated to be released on the Playstation 3 in 2007 and at an unspecified date for Windows based PC's. Check out the aforementioned Joystiq article here for all the available details on the confirmation of the Windows version.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:32 AM EDT

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As mentioned in an earlier article, Spell Tomes, the latest addition for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is now available for the Xbox 360 and PC. The Spell Tomes add on includes new spells and the ability to craft them as well as allowing players to find spell scrolls randomly while adventuring. For those who missed the earlier article, once again here are the specifics from the content description at the Oblivion download store;

Spell Tomes - DLC4

This pack adds “Spell Tomes” to the world’s random treasure. These books grant you wondrous and powerful magic spells, just by reading them! Now Mages will also gain instant benefits by treasure hunting. Friend and foe alike will bow in awe before your power.

Features:

• Hundreds of new spell-giving books
  
• All the most useful basic spells covered
  
• Low level and high level spells available
  
• Many new powerful spells with multiple effects added
  
• Extremely powerful new spells that are balanced with slightly detrimental effects to lower the cost in Magicka
  
• Find Spell Tomes in dungeons all over Cyrodiil
  
• Spend less time and money arming yourself with the spells you want and need

The content can be obtained on PC for 99 cents via the official Oblivion download store and on the Xbox 360 for 80 Microsoft points ($1) via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Check out the official Oblivion download store product page for the Spell Tomes add on here for more information.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:22 AM EDT

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Following in the footsteps of the command line version, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.108u2 is also now available.

Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:10 AM EDT

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The first interim update to MAME v.108 is now available. According to the update notes, this update mainly deals with updates to the multi-threading/hyper-threading CPU support of the program.

The updated files can be found at the official MAME page at Mamedev.org. You can Click here to see what's new in this update.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:09 AM EDT

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