QuickJump QuickPeek 25: Of DAX’s multi-popping present, firmware updates, and the new Parasite Eve in the form of glowing kittens

(Editor’s Note: This is a triumph. I’m making a note here. HUGE SUCCESS. Don your gay apparel and all that, we’re decking the halls with another QuickJump QuickPeek!)

With Christmas shopping half done, you’re probably dead beat by now. No time to log on to your news sites and RSS feeds much since last week? Don’t worry, we’re on it. The QJ.NET elves have been mighty busy this week and are now rolling out QuickPeek 25!

* Article originally posted December 15, 2007 at 02:33PM.

(Editor’s Note: This is a triumph. I’m making a note here. HUGE SUCCESS. Sorry to take from GLaDOS of Portal fame – released for the PS3 this week BTW – but considering the news lately, there definitely are a lot of success stories to take note of. And that’s whether or not there was any real cake involved to begin with. Don your gay apparel and all that, we’re decking the halls with another QuickJump QuickPeek!)

With Christmas shopping half done, you’re probably dead beat by now. No time to log on to your news sites and RSS feeds much during the previous days, have you? Don’t worry, we’re on it. The QJ.NET elves have been mighty busy this week, churning more stories from the gaming and technology industries as always.

Now it’s time to catch up! Have you missed anything since last week’s QuickPeek? The number “25” is special for the month of December. Today though, it’s most specially special, especially since it’s the 25th weekly special for QuickPeek. Golly. If this can’t get any more special now, we don’t know what is.

Just one more week and a couple of days before Christmas, so before then, let’s keep ourselves in check. What’s been going on during this week?

This week had us reeling again with a lot more presents found under the PSP tree. The good thing about it is we don’t have to wait until Christmas day to unwrap them! Well, for most of them, at least.

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ) announced that the latest official PSP firmware will be dropping in next week: for those in Japan, red letter day falls on December 18. Other SCE subsidiaries haven’t announced specific release dates for their region, but chances are, it couldn’t be all that far off.

PSP Firmware 3.80 will carry a lot of improvements such as one-segment broadcast recordings and Internet radio, not to mention several content update for the Network and Video sections. And for those who are itching for it, we’ve even managed to grab hold a couple of screenshots of what it will look like.

Link: SCEJ to release PSP firmware 3.80 on December 18
Link: PlayStation Portable firmware 3.80 screenshots

Big news came in again for the homebrew community. It all started with tipster Fadil who, in turn, was tipped by Mathieulh: Dark AleX is sending everyone an early Christmas gift! The man behind Team M33 is releasing another custom firmware update, a multi-disc Popsloader!

Later, DAX finally rolled out 3.71 M33-4, which finally fixes those bugs some of you might be getting when loading multi-disc games from the PlayStation Store. As for the Popsloader itself, sound issues in uncompressed games have also been fixed.

Thanks to Fadil for sending in the email!

Link: Homebrew news: Dark AleX to release Multi-disc Popsloader
Link: 3.71 M33-4 released, includes new multi-disc Popsloader

Though we previously heard DAX and Math themselves say that 3.73 didn’t warrant a custom firmware (saying that there weren’t any critical changes), this hasn’t fazed _HellDashX_ from releasing his very own PSP CFW 3.72 HX-1.

If you’d recall, he was able to decrypt this latest firmware a few weeks back, but decided not to release it just yet because of personal reasons (as our previous tipsters explained). The changes in this new CFW from _HellDashX_ aren’t all too many, but still, it’s an updated ‘brew as much as any other.

Link: PSP Custom Firmware 3.73 HX-1 now out!

Meanwhile, taking a cue from _HellDashX_ is none other than Dark Moon – who, by the by, is none other than Becus25 (and we hear a couple of oohs and aahs from the more veteran QJ.NET readers). Anyways. Dark Moon has released a 1.50 kernel add-on for CFW 3.73 HX-1 to make running homebrew a lot easier.

Thanks to seanpaul223 for tipping us off!

Link: Peek-a-boo: Kernel Addon for 3.73 HX-1 Beta

Wi-Fi buffs out ther curious to find a new hotspot can ease up. This week, homebrew developer Art has released Road Dog, a Wi-Fi hotspot scanner. Correction: a talking Wi-Fi hotspot scanner. Art actually released a whole slew of updates to Road Dog throughout the week with various fixes along the way, but eventually, we end up with Road Dog V1d, the latest version.

Link: Road Dog V1d

Still no sign of RealTechVR’s “holiday release” of No Gravity. Here’s to hoping it drops in next week. In case you hear of it, tip us off, why don’cha? You just might land your name on next week’s QuickPeek.

– QJ.NET’s PSPUpdates Team

Sony seems to be rolling out the big guns this holiday season in one swell foop (let the spoonerism slide…). As much as its little handheld brother might be hogging presents, the PlayStation 3 itself is getting quite a lot of bows and ribbons as well.

First up: news of the upcoming firmware for the PS3. It seems to be more geared toward the videophiles as two bits of info this week project that the next firmware will be going live before the year ends, sporting BD-Live support for web-enabled Blu-ray discs and DivX Technology.

Link: Next PS3 firmware paves way for web-enabled Blu-ray
Link: PlayStation 3: Next FW update and DivX support coming soon

On to something more official and concrete, Sony has announced that PlayStation Network cards will be arriving to North America pretty soon. That’s great news! Some of us might not have credit cards, and even some gamers might not be old enough to be eligible for one. Hence, PSN cards to the rescue!

Sony’s target for implementation will be Spring 2008. The cards will be made available to purchase downloadable content the PlayStation Store via a PS3 or PC.

Link: PlayStation Network cards arriving in North America soon
Link: PSN director sheds light on PSN Cards

More things to look forward in the future are a couple of other notable things, like in-game XMB access (a feature long been petitioned for), Sony’s game line-up for 2008, and their plan of connecting the PS3 to other devices.

Link: PSN looking into in-game XMB access for future update
Link: Sony ready for 2008, announces game line-up
Link: Sony planning to connect PS3 to various devices to increase sales

For those who are wanting some trailers to watch to wash your weekend over, new Final Fantasy 13 videos have surfaced from the “Cloud” book. Most of the clips used in the two vids (one for FF 13, one for FF Versus 13) contain much of what we’ve already seen in the E3 trailers and other vids, but as some previously said, they’ve been slightly extended.

Now just in case you missed those, these two vids can serve as both eye candy and a refresher course. A couple of things to note are 1) the “Shiva motorcycle”, 2) the new character introduced in FF 13, now dubbed “Mr. 33cm” supposedly for his shoe size, and 3) a move reminiscent of Cloud’s Omnislash.

Link: CLOUD buyers’ comments on FF 13, FF Versus trailers
Link: Square Enix reveals FFXIII and FF Versus XIII videos

Will the new firmware be released next week? Will it coincide with the PSP’s release of FW 3.80? That’s a question left to be answered by GLaDOS.

– QJ.NET’s PlayStation 3 Team

The Microsoft Xbox 360 has a trump card under its sleeve. In the near future, the burning of HD-DVD content will becom emuch more efficient. Microsoft has just announced the release of an HD-DVD emulator that imitates the behavior of HD-DVD content in a virtual environment.

Being able to do so will eventually cut down costs, time, and effort in producing HD-DVDs. See, the emulator will prevent having to burn an error-riddled disc because, even before burning, you can already test, troubleshoot, and check it out in a safe buffered zone.

Link: Microsoft releases Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator

In the continuing race in downloadable media – more specifically games – both Sony and Microsoft had chucked in their numbers to the recent NPD results.

Microsoft pointed out that the Xbox 360 generated more third-party US revenue for November than the PS3 and the Wii combined. To give you a figure, here’s something to look at: the 360 raked in US$ 367 million, while the PS3had US$ 129 million and the Wii, US$ 203 million.

Link: Sony, Microsoft add own statistics to NPD results

Speaking of sales, Assassin’s Creed has been moving quite well ever since it was released (for both the 360 and PS3). Total software sales for the Ubisoft title have surpassed expectations and currently sports the title of the fastest-selling new video game IP in North America. As of now, it’s sold 2.5 million units.

At the rate things are going for them, Ubisoft now estimates that it will achieve approximately 975 million Euro (US$ 1.43 billion) in sales for the next fiscal year, thanks to their future titles lined up.

Link: Assassin’s Creed reaches 2.5 million sales, fastest-selling new IP in NA

If you haven’t fired up your console and connected to Xbox Live this week, you might want to hook yourself up for DLC. For one, the Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack is already available – make sure you got some 800 MS Points for that one.

The Rock Band Punk pack is also live, as well as the free demo for Burnout Paradise. For those still wanting some high-octane speed demons, GripShift is now on XBLA, as is Arkadian Warriors.

Link: Xbox Live: Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack, Rock Band Punk Pack
Link: Burnout Paradise Xbox 360 free demo now available at XBLM
Link: XBLA update: GripShift and Arkadian Warriors dated

So… How many much of your Friends list have you filled in? As some people have proposed, Microsoft should have an Achievement for capping out your list to the 100-max limit. LOL Hey, it’s Christmas! Share the love!

– QJ.NET’s Xbox 360 Team

Snaps to the white party box of Nintendo: a new firmware update for the Nintendo Wii arrived this week. Couldn’t come at a better time too, as it allows you to share the spirit of Christmas. By the by… Our Wii Friend code is… *hint hint* Hah, just kidding.

Moving on, yes, the latest Wii update was made available this week. The biggest new feature on it is the Gifting feature, via the Wii Shop Channel. This new addition to the Wii system allows users to buy DLC games for their friends and family (read: it’s region-locked), and send it over to their console once it’s purchased. Also, the Photo Channel has been bumped up to v1.1, which replaces MP3 support for the AAC format.

Link: Gifting feature to be available in the Wii Shop Channel
Link: Latest Wii update now available with official changelog
Link: Nintendo’s Gifting Feature region locked

So, wanna test out the Gifting feature? (Again, our Friend code is… *mumblemumble*) The Virtual Console got three new games this week in the form of Pokemon Snap (from back in the N64 heyday), Ghosts and Goblins, and Baseball Stars 2.

What’s cool about Pokemon Snap is that it’s actually getting an updated feature to coincide with the new Wii update. Pokemon Snap has been re-engineered to allow the sharing of pictures you’ve taken in-game, and show it off to your friends and Wii Message Boards.

Link: Pokemon Snap, Ghosts and Goblins confirmed for US Virtual Console

Regular updates from the DOJO include more previews of what we can expect in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This week, we get a glimpse of the Rotation feature that helps players organize tournaments among friends.

As for gamers who want a wider scope in their Brawl matches, it’s also been revealed that, when playing “With Anyone” via Wi-Fi, players that get disconnected will be replaced by bots.

Link: Disconnected gamers to be replaced with bots in Super Smash Bros Brawl
Link: Super Smash Bros. Update: Rotation game mode

Screens of the Options menu in Super Smash Bros. Brawl have been revealed, showing various configurations to tweak and experiment around with: Deflicker, Rumble, Sound, MyMusic, and Erase Data. Among the new characters that appear as cameos are Bonsly the Pokemon, Stafy from his self-titled game on the GameBoy Color, and none other than Waluigi.

Link: Super Smash Bros. Brawl update: Options menu, Ice Climber theme
Link: Assist Tropies galore: Waluigi, Stafy join Super Smash Bros. Brawl

We snuck in a little something for you guys in the Odds-and-Ends section below. Make sure you check it out!

– QJ.NET’s Nintendo Wii Team

Tomb Raider Underworld has finally been confirmed. It’s going to be the latest installment in Eidos’ franchise for the lovely lady, Lara Croft. It’s going to be released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC sometime next year.

The story is set after the events in Tomb Raider Legend, and will follow the exploits of lady Croft as she tries to unravel the mysteries of the Mayan calendar. This title is described to be “pure woman versus wild” and features full motion capture for Lara Croft, as played by Keeley Hawes yet again.

Link: Tomb Raider Underworld confirmed: pure woman versus wild

The latest move from Codemasters is to take their stand against online piracy. In this case, it’s peer-to-peer (P2P) they’re trying to get a hold of. Not only is Codemasters targeting the websites offering access to full-retail versions of their games, but they’re also reaching out to the users in the P2P network themselves.

Users have now reported that they’ve gotten email warnings from Codemasters… but the thing is, some people have reported that they’ve gotten an email even though they never really downloaded anything of Codemasters.

Link: Codemasters threats to sue P2P users, sending warning emails already

Washing up ashore on our news blogs are more media-related bits and pieces that might be of interest for some of you.

David Jaffe reaffirms our hopes on the God of War movie, saying that it is indeed in good (production) hands and still alive. He talked of how he’s been able to have lunch with the producer for the movie and how there could be some big news dropping in soon.

Link: David Jaffe: God of War movie still going strong

Too bad for a Korean media company, they were at the receiving end of Tifa’s “Beat Rush to Final Heaven” combo blitz (oh wait, Blitzes are FF 6‘s Sabin’s thing). Though they say that imitation is a form of flattery, Fantom Entertainment Group got charged for plagiarizing a scene from Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.

Exhibit A: Korean pop singer Ivy’s music video for her song “Temptation of Sonata”. It recreates the epic battle between Tifa and Loz from the movie. And it does it quite well to. Square Enix filed the complaint last March, but it was only this week that the judge presiding over this case finally gave the ruling.

Link: Korean company sued for plagiarizing FF7: Advent Children

Now aside from escaping an angry moose by casting “Feign Death” in real life, there’s nothing like some light news to help alleviate all the tension. Wonder what else is new next week? Wii consoles attracting cockroaches? Oh. Wait.

Genetics. Evolution. Cloning. These are definitely not to be taken lightly. Remember, remember, what happened to Aya Brea and her Mitochondria-loving antagonist in Parasite Eve. While that’s purely science fiction (could very well be fact, if you want to believe it), this week was nothing but. Strange than (fiction), yes. But eventually, things like these were bound to happen.

First on the list: glow-in-the-dark kittens. Scientists in South Korea have been able to genetically alter a “fluorescent protein gene” within cats and turned it on. These three cats now glow when under ultraviolet light.

As the Ministry of Science and Technology states, “It marked the first time in the world that cats with RFP (altered fluorescent protein) genes have been cloned.”

Link: South Korea successfully clones glow-in-the-dark cats

Over at Japan, however, another cat-related experiment revealed some results. Well, not cat, per se, but more of mice and their fear of cats. Scientists at Tokyo have genetically engineered mice without a gene that triggered the mice’s sense of fear.

These genes are supposedly centered on olfactory senses. See, the reason why mice fear cats is because of the smell. If they smell a cat, it activates some genetic program that tells them to jet. So, deactivating the gene, in a sense, deactivates the fear.

This has led some researchers to a new light in investigating human fear, saying that fears aren’t learned through experience, but are actually genetically programmed into ourselves.

Link: Japanese scientists engineer mice with no fear of cats

Only time will tell if either one of the genetically altered animals will reveal itself to be Mitochondrial Eve and eventually claim all 77 floors of the Chrysler building. Calling Dr. Klamp… DNA culturing and testing needed… Calling Dr. Klamp…

Ah yes. This week, we give special thanks to koolaidsred1 for etching himself in QJ.NET history for a very memorable comment on our piece about the PS3 getting DivX technology.

Koolaidsred1, if you’re reading this, do note that we make a clear distinction here: we’re not  laughing at you, but really, laughing with you. Because your comment has made some of us here (maybe some of you readers can even say the same thing) remember that one fateful day when we had our very own lightbulb moments, just as you have recently.

And believe us, the realization dawning over one person about the “DivX-XviD conspiracy” is a priceless expression some of us have encountered or experienced for our selves. Also, honorable mention go out to platon, jrm125, spicyhamster, and Mr Toasty for being such good sports as well.

* Article originally posted December 15, 2007 at 02:33PM.