Sony, Sony, Sony... Why must you treat us so? It looks like the folks at Sony have stepped in it yet again. According to 1UP.com, last week at CES, Sony's Senior VP of Marketing, Peter Dille announced to the Sony faithful that the U.S. version of MotorStorm would be running in 1080p at a whopping 60fps on the PlayStation 3. Normally, that would be something to cheer about, except for the fact that Sony later recanted the statement and instead confirmed that MotorStorm would remain at 720p with a frame rate of 30fps for the U.S. release.

Gotta love that. I always find it interesting when a company throws out fake numbers in front of a huge audience and then later revises them, knowing that everyone is going to file a report on the initial announcement, but that most won't bother mentioning the correction later. While I'm not saying that this is what Sony did this time around, I do wonder about it. I mean, this is Sony's Senior VP of Marketing we're talking about, not the kid down the block who just picked up the latest issue of GamePro. You would think that someone out bother would be fact checking his speeches before he gives them.

As expected, here's the link for the 1UP.com article I'm talking about.

Posted by nylatenite at 5:16 PM EST

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I know I have. Late at night, I often look at the shelf my old Super Nintendo sits on and ask myself "Why the hell did the bottom of my SNES turn yellow but not the top - WTF is up with that?" - Yeah, I know, I have too much time on my hands. Anyway, the good folks over at Vintage Computing and Gaming have finally provided the answer - and maybe now I'll be able to get some much needed sleep.

Anyway, the answer is a little complicated, so I'll simplify things and let those of you looking for a more in depth answer to click the link and read the whole article - something I highly recommend as it's not just an interesting topic, but something that could be of great help to console collectors everywhere. In short, the problem lies with the manufacturing process used to make certain plastics, including ABS plastic, which is what the Super Nintendo is made out of.

In the case of the SNES, it would at least appear that in older models too much of a flame retardant chemical was used in the mix, and that causes the plastic to degrade over time - and that degradation is accelerated when the console is exposed to certain conditions. As for cases like my trusty old SNES and it's color issues, it would appear that it was built some time during the period in which those ratios were corrected. In other words, the bottom half of the case was made before the correction, the top half afterwards.

This isn't something that only affects the Super Nintendo though. I'm sure everyone has seen an old computer monitor, computer or the like that has yellowed over time. That's not dirt, folks(well, at least not all of it is) - it's the same degradation process. That said, Vintage Computing and Gaming had some advice on ways to at least slow the degradation process;

"Prevention Methods:

1. Keep your most prized collector pieces out of rooms with fluorescent lighting.
2. Keep your units away from windows and sunlight because, like the fluorescent lighting, the UV exposure will drastically hasten their discoloration. Even indirect sunlight can do damage over time.
3. Avoid placing your unit next to a heat source such as a radiator, air duct, or fireplace. Or in the fire.
4. Do not keep your machines in a room where people smoke tobacco (wacky or otherwise).
5. Apply a coat of UV protectant.
6. Try not to breathe too heavily upon your console’s exterior. Ok — this one’s a joke.
7. For the ultimate in protection, seal your unit in a lead-lined, temperature-controlled, evacuated vault away from any radiation, visible or otherwise. But hey, what fun is that?" - Vintage Computing and Gaming

Like I said, the article is a must read for anyone who's ever wondered why that yellowing occurs and what they can do about it - check it out at this link.

Posted by nylatenite at 5:15 PM EST

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Following in the footsteps of the command line version, MAME32 v.111.3, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.111 is also now available.

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

Posted by nylatenite at 5:15 PM EST

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The latest "update" version of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, version 1.11u3, is now available for download. This time around the update is focusing on some serious background changes and the dev team has advised that unless you're looking to take some risks - or test the latest build - you should probably steer clear of the update for now. If you are interested in testing the build, head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started.

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

Posted by nylatenite at 5:14 PM EST

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Game|Life is reporting that RedOctane is still trying to convince Microsoft to allow them to make the X-Plorer guitar that will be included with the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II wireless, and may even go so far as to release an unlicensed wireless guitar should Microsoft refuse to relent.

I understand Microsoft's hesitance to allow just anyone to make wireless controllers for the 360, as the last thing they want is for people to say the 360's wireless features suck because the only time they used it was with some low budget third party wireless controller. I also understand the fact that by being the only game in town for wireless 360 accessories, Microsoft ensures that their controllers are going to sell better than anyone else's. However, unless Microsoft has some plan on releasing a wireless guitar of their own (which as far as I know, they don't), they really should step up to the plate and let RedOctane take GH2 wireless.

Guitar Hero II is a huge franchise on the PlayStation 2 and is undoubtedly going to be a huge franchise on the Xbox 360 as well. More importantly, in the short term at least, it's going to be the only way to play the game on a next-gen system. That means sales and lots of them. What it also means is that many of the people who are considering purchasing the 360 version of the game will have played it before and may have purchased additional guitars in the past - many of them wireless guitars. While those gamers may be thrilled with the idea of downloadable songs (cha-ching), they may not be too keen on the thought of going back to using a wired controller, or may be fearful that they'll once again have to buy yet another guitar somewhere down the road when a wireless model becomes available.

Rather than risk losing some of those game sales (and whatever cut of the additional songs Microsoft will make via the Marketplace), MS should take full advantage of the the "next-gen exclusivity" factor and do whatever they can to ensure the 360 version of Guitar Hero II will sell like hotcakes. Think about it, if people are willing to buy hundreds of MP3 files at $1.00 per song, I'm quite sure they'd be willing to spend the same (or more) to play their favorites in a game. This one game could theoretically become a cash cow that would make previous downloadable content sales look pathetic by comparison - if Microsoft gets there first.

So Microsoft, if you're listening, pick up the damn phone and call the folks over at RedOctane. Tell them you're willing to help bring the wireless Guitar Hero II experience to the Xbox 360 because it's the right thing to do and it's what your customers want - because if you don't, I'm sure one of your competitors will - and what's a few months additional wait to people who already have another version of the game?

Anyway, enough rambling from me - if you want to check out the Game|Life article that starter this long-winded post, click here.

Posted by nylatenite at 4:49 AM EST

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If you ever had the privilege of playing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on the original PlayStation, then you understand why so many people consider the game the greatest of the Castlevania series (Sorry Rondo fans, but I'm a SoTN supporter). You may also have been worried that Microsoft was going to force Konami to butcher the title in order for it to bring it within the 50mb Xbox Live Arcade limit - well, worry no more.

Gamespot is reporting that Microsoft has announced that they will be making an exception for Symphony of the Night - and it may not be the only title getting that kind of treatment;

"Even though Symphony of the Night will exceed the size limit, Canessa indicated that there is still a 50MB cap on Live Arcade games, although Microsoft is willing to make exceptions to the rule. "If any games do exceed 50 MB, it's for a very specific reason that would ensure that the gameplay experience is the best it can be," Canessa said.

Microsoft is willing to look the other way on Symphony of the Night, and according to Canessa, it won't be the last of its kind on Live Arcade.

"Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is one of the most popular games of all time, and you can [bet] that you'll see similar high-quality games come to Xbox Live Arcade in the future," Canessa said. " - Gamespot article summarizing a conversation with Greg Canessa, Microsoft's group manager for Xbox Live Arcade

Seeing how the original PlayStation version of the game was approximately 300mb, this is good news indeed. If you're worried about just how much space Symphony is going to take up, you may want to try seeing if the the "XBLA burn to DVD" method we mentioned a few months back will work with this one.

According to Kotaku, Symphony of the Night will be hitting the Xbox Live Arcade on February 10th, 2007.

Check out the Gamespot article here for more details on Gamespot's conversation with Greg Canessa, here for the Kotaku post indicating the game's release date and here for our earlier post on how to play Xbox Live Arcade titles you've purchased off a CD or DVD.

Posted by nylatenite at 4:49 AM EST

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Major Nelson is reporting that a new bonus map for the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 3 is now available free to Xbox Live Gold subscribers via the Xbox Live Marketplace. This time around, the Major gave no ETA as to when Live Silver subscribers can expect to see this bit of content trickle down to them. Here's the dashboard write up for the new map "Champs";

"FREE! “Champs” is an exclusive new multiplayer map that brings CLASSIC Call of Duty infantry-based combat to Port Royal des Champs, a war-torn French farm town. The map’s compact design is perfect for small and medium-sized team games in online, split-screen, and System Link play, or crank up the intensity with 24-player mayhem. A country road snakes across the landscape from a private chateau to a heavily battered cathedral. Vast wheat fields, hidden ravines, and blown-out buildings provide endless tactical opportunities for squads or lone soldiers to flank the enemy with stealth. Experience explosive action like never before in this free Bonus Map!" - MajorNelson.com

Free is always good, so if you've got the game (or plan on picking it up) be sure to download this one.

Posted by nylatenite at 4:48 AM EST

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Gamespot had a chance to sit down with Chris Satchell, general manager of the game developer group at Microsoft and pick his brain about IPTV, the video marketplace and of course, those pesky HDMI equipped Xbox 360 videos and photos. Let's get the burning question out of the way first - Did Microsoft confirm that a HDMI equipped Xbox 360 exists? The answer, it would seem, is both yes and no.

While never explicitly mentioning the HDMI-equipped 360, Satchell answered that anything we may have seen over the last few days is based on experimentation over at Microsoft's Redmond offices, but that there were no plans to actually release such a machine;

"GS: What can you tell us about the HDMI-enabled Xbox 360 rumors that have been going around?

CS: We're always working on prototypes and new technologies and just playing with stuff in Redmond to see what's interesting. I think at the moment we have the widest available connections on the system. If you want to get great HD, I think we've got a good solution for that. In the future it's interesting to see where standards evolve to. I think one of the problems that the whole industry, us and entertainment, are facing at the moment is we're in this world where standards are evolving very quickly.

We have different high-definition standards for discs that we know are competing at the moment. We think HD-DVD is going to be the right way to go, but really it's all about choice in that system so that's why we're offering these sort of services with downloads--skip that whole "format wars" problem. With other standards, audiovideo standards, they're evolving very quickly as well. We're obviously keeping an eye on that and saying, "What are the future standards and how do we give consumers the right choice for that?"

At the moment, everything you might have seen is just looking at our experimentation back in Redmond, not really a product that we're thinking about announcing." - Chris Satchell, general manager - Microsoft game developer group via Gamespot

So there you have it, odds are what we saw was something Microsoft was playing with, but not something they plan on announcing any time soon. While that's tantamount to saying "Yes, we have it", there's certainly enough wiggle room in that answer for any direction Microsoft may choose to go with it. Bottom line? They have at least one, if not more HDMI equipped Xbox 360 prototypes, so they are at least looking at the possibility of releasing an updated system with the connectors some time down the road.

That wasn't all Satchell had to talk about though. In addition to touting the Xbox 360's graphic capabilities when compared to the PlayStation 3, the Xbox Live Video Marketplace and some of the issues facing it (He states that Microsoft isn't really considering making a larger Xbox 360 hard drive available, but would consider it should 360 owners demand one), Satchell gave Gamespot a little more information on how IPTV will be brought to the 360 and whether the existing console hardware would be able to support it;

"GS: Is the IPTV feature going to be a dashboard update?

CS: How we're doing it at first is we're working with telecommunication partners who are intending to deliver an IPTV service and saying, "Here's a different kind of box you can use. Instead of just having a standard set-top box, use an Xbox 360. It gives you new services to provide your customers, and for gamers it gives them a really cool combination of next-generation television and next-generation gaming."

I think where you'll first see it will be in partnership with these telco partners who are doing IPTV. Now, later on, we're looking at, "Well, should we do an update to allow people who've got just an Xbox 360 to get to some of the same services rather than having to get it from a telco?" We're looking at both, but first you're going to see it from our partners.

GS: If Microsoft chooses to make IPTV available to all Xbox 360 owners, will upgrading be as simple as a dashboard update?

CS: If we do open it up so that our current users can get to the service, we're not quite sure how we'll deliver it. Of course, we have a great system with [Xbox] Live, so it's entirely possible that we could do it as an upgrade. It's entirely possible we could give it to you on a disc and you could just install it. There are all sorts of ways we can give it to you. Obviously our preference normally is to do everything online because that's where people are at." - Chris Satchell, general manager - Microsoft game developer group via Gamespot

On the subject of IPTV pricing, Satchell simply stated that the price plans would be determined by the service providers, not Microsoft.

The interview is definitely something all Xbox 360 owners should take a look at, as it concerns itself with not just some interesting features that Microsoft is looking to bring to the table, but really is a look at where the future of the Xbox 360 could be headed. At the risk of stirring up a hornet's nest again, it raises the question of whether Microsoft will be bringing IPTV home via a HDMI Equipped, larger hard drive bearing, cable ready Xbox 360.

Those interested in finding out more can find the full Gamespot interview at this link.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:52 AM EST

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Xbox 360 owners got a bit of a surprise today when they found that not only were the two new multiplayer maps available as promised, but a free Gears of War dashboard theme was available for download as well. The theme is based on Raven Down and Old Bones, the maps made available by Epic today and is being provided courtesy of The Discovery Channel's new show, Future Weapons. Microsoft hasn't commented on how long the theme will be available, so my advice is to download it fast before it vanishes forever.

In addition, a video introduction to Raven Down and Old Bones, featuring none other than Gears lead designer Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski, was made available for download in the marketplace as well. Be sure to check it out.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:52 AM EST

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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays kicks off 2007 with Namco's 1981 smash-hit Ms. Pac-Man. What is there to say about this title that hasn't been said just about everywhere else. Seriously, just like Pac-Man, I highly doubt there's anyone who needs to have this one explained to them. Perhaps what makes Ms. Pac-Man such a great title isn't just that it made some key changes to the gameplay of the original, but that unlike Pac-Man, the game's random ghost AI made sure that players wouldn't simply be able to learn a set of patterns to beat the game, which makes it a true test of skill rather than just an exercise in memorization. (As a kid, I remember reading about how important that factor was going to be for arcade operators and players in Electronic Games Magazine - why that sticks with me today, I couldn't tell you.)

What most people don't know about Ms. Pac-Man is that the game wasn't created by Namco, but rather by a little company called General Computer Corporation (GCC). The game started off it's life as a hack of the original Pac-Man hardware called "Crazy Otto" that turned out so well, GCC brought it to Midway's attention and offered to sell the rights to them. Midway at the time was still waiting for Nacmo to deliver Super Pac-Man, and decided to buy the game and convert it to the Pac-Man universe. A few changed sprites later, Ms. Pac-Man was born. Needless to say, Namco wasn't too pleased with the situation and eventually made Midway turn over the rights to Ms. Pac-Man under the threat of ending the lucrative licensing agreement the two companies shared. (See Ms. Pac-Man's KLOV or Wikipedia entry for more details)

Okay, the history lesson is over - let's get on with the specifics;

Title: Ms. Pac-Man
Developer: Namco Bandai Games Inc
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games Inc
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 1/10/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Xbox Live: Yes
HDTV Support: 720p
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Demo?: Yes

From the Xbox.com product description;

"Xbox Live brings one of the all time classics from Namco Bandai Games to Xbox Live Marketplace. The sequel to the incredibly popular Pac-Man, his girlfriend Ms. Pac-Man takes a turn through the maze. Ms. Pac-Man attempts to clear various challenging mazes filled with Pac-Dots and moving fruits while avoiding the ghosts.

One collision from any of the ghosts means a loss of life. Survive a few rounds of gameplay, and be treated to humorous intermissions showing the growing romantic relationship between Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man, leading all the way up to the arrival of "Junior."

• Classic gaming: Guide Ms. Pac-Man through the maze and munch all the Pac-Dots and Power Pellets to clear each stage.
• Arcade authenticity: The game remains true to the arcade version, including ghosts, dot chomping action, and Ms. Pac-Man's "waka-waka" original sounds. Play all 255 mazes from the original coin-op version.
• Ghosts and pellets: The game is full of hilarious antics as you eat moving fruits and avoid smart ghosts through the fun-filled mazes. Munch a Power Pellet to momentarily turn the ghost blue! When they are blue, you can eat them for bonus points.
• Free demo: The free trial demo lets you play through the first two levels of the game.
• Arcade features: Track your high scores on the Ms. Pac-Man leaderboards and strive to garner all 12 achievements." - Xbox.com

Considering how poorly the Xbox 360 d-pad works, I expect to see the same 4-way stick issues that plagued the Xbox Live Arcade version of Pac-Man showing up in this one as well. Given the popularity of the XBLA, I really don't see why Microsoft won't release some kind of arcade stick for the system. Not only would they be able to reap the rewards of selling another accessory to 360 owners, but it would certainly help the sales of a lot of XBLA games. I know several people who have already said that because of the experiences they had with Pac-Man on the 360, they'll be passing on it's sequel. Before anyone e-mails me on this one, I am aware of the Hori and Mad Catz arcade sticks, but neither really strikes me as an ideal option... which reminds me - I really need to finish building that custom Xbox 360 arcade controller, don't I?

Posted by nylatenite at 3:40 AM EST

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