QuickJump QuickPeek 49: Of hope for in-game XMB, an explosion of PSP and Wii homebrew emulators, and a new Oddysee into the odd world of gaming
(Editor’s Note: QuickPeek’s a day early? Yup! Better believe it!)
It’s another jam-packed episode for QuickPeek – this, even though we’re a day short from the usual seven-day cut-off. GTA 4 is still making waves a full month after its release and there seems to be some explosion of sorts among homebrew emulators across different platforms. Grab them green-skinned creatures and follow the exodus to the odd world of gaming!
Originally posted 30 May, 2008, 02:29PM
(Editor’s Note: Hey, what gives?! QuickJump QuickPeek? A day earlier than scheduled? Ha! Believe it! Though we’re one day early, that doesn’t mean we’re running short on news either. Now you might be asking… why publish a day early? Well, remember when we hinted last week that we’ll be introducing changes to QuickPeek? This is just one of them!)
We’ve got a whole slew of updates this week folks! We have the news across all platforms to get you guys jittery with excitement. A couple of games (and rumored games, even) have finally been confirmed. More details for other games have also been running around in wild abandon this week, so better make sure you get a grip on them.
There seems to be a trend in the homebrew communities too. Homebrew devs from both the PSP and Wii communities have released a bunch of emulators for their respective platforms. We don’t know why… maybe they all had a dream about emulators and suddenly tapped simultaneously into the world of ideas?
Well now. Dream or not, on to the news! Grab them green-skinned creatures and follow the exodus to the odd world of gaming!
PSP: The green-eyed monster… is so cute!
Time to take out your wallets, folks, you might want to have them at the ready. This week, SCEA introduced the Secret Agent Clank figurine, in anticipation of the release of the game on June 17. This Clank figurine doesn’t double as a backpack, but he’s still terribly cute. You can get yourself one by pre-ordering a copy of the game.
Another reason to have your wallets out is a new deal from Amazon, offering up Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7. The visual masterpiece is being offered for US$ 25.99, 14 bucks off the original price. Get ’em while they’re hot!
Link: SCEA unveils special Secret Agent Clank figurine
Link: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII selling for US$ 26 on Amazon
It’s another case of Brokenstreetdatism. Ok, that isn’t a real word. But anyway, it seems that Wal-Mart has broken the street date of the God of War Entertainment Pack for the PSP for at least one person. We haven’t heard of any further reports of anyone else being able to purchase the pack, so don’t get your hopes up. But maybe if you ask real nicely…
Link: God of War PSP street date reportedly broken by Wal-Mart
PSP gamers might get a hoot out of this new mod for the Sony handheld. This mod installs a diode on your PSP and basically allows your PSP to connect and supply power to almost any USB gadget. The modding process is, understandably, a sensitive procedure so be careful if you want to attempt it.
Link: PSP USB Gadgets Connector mod: connect any USB gadget to your handheld
Wrapping up this week’s PSP updates are the latest homebrew that came out this week. The biggest update this week is the release of the Daedalus R14 Beta from both StrmnNrmn and Captain Morgan.
Also big this week is another emulator: an update of Snes9xTYLsmcm, an SNES emulator for the PSP. If you’re already familiar with the homebrew, you’re probably aware that the developers behind it prefer to remain anonymous. Rumor has it though that developer Ruka, who release SNES9xTYL++, is part of the team
Link: Unofficial Daedalus R14 Beta released – Nintendo 64 Emulator for PSP
Link: Snes9xTYLsmcm Test 5 27/05/08
Link: Rumor: Ruka part of Snes9xTYLsmcm development team
Also this week are new versions of PSPlorer, a file browser for the PSP from pspZorba, and Bermuda CS 9, an image editor from bumuckl. If you’re more into homebrew games though, you might want to check out iPong from Tanos.
Link: PSP Homebrew: PSPlorer v1.5 released
Link: Bermuda CS 9CF – compatible with FW 1.0, 1.5
Link: iPong v1.0 – Pong reinvented
That’s it for this week! Check out more video game news below, and see you next week!
– QJ.NET’s PSPUpdates team
PlayStation 3: Who isn’t BioShocked?! Naaw, really?
Beta testers of PlayStation Home had a chance to get out of their home away from home (but still in the living room) when Sony unveiled their new Media and Events Space. The Space is a virtual area inside Home that will serve as a center for first- and third-party groups to hold productions and events.
The Media and Events Space debuted with a re-run of PlayStation Day 2008, then Ubisoft got a turn by holding a virtual version of their annual trade show, Ubidays. We also have the skinny on the real-world Ubidays as well, which you can read up on the General Gaming section of this week’s QuickPeek.
Links: PlayStation Home unveils Media and Events Space with PS Day re-run
Links: PlayStation Home Beta: Ubidays gets first dibs on Media and Events Space
Now we don’t normally post about rumors here in QuickPeek, but this one is too big to pass up. A lot of gamers out there have been waiting for the update that will finally give the PlayStation 3 the promised in-game XMB feature, but this has been long in coming and a lot of people have taken to biting their nails instead of twiddling their thumbs.
Well if circulating talks prove true, in-game XMB will finally arrive with Firmware 2.40, which is also said to be arriving pretty soon. This feels more than just your run of the mill rumor. A lot of groups who have acquired their info from different sources, all saying that Firmware 2.40 is the big momma of updates. Cross your fingers.
Link: PS3 Firmware 2.40 to really include in-game XMB?
More good news for Sony gamers this week: Take-Two Interactive finally announced a release window for the long-rumored PS3 version of BioShock. According to the press release, the game will arrive this October with added features and extra content. Sweet, eh? This should be enough for any doubters still out there.
Link: BioShock PlayStation 3 officially dated, arriving October
Speaking of upcoming games, what’s a PlayStation 3 update in QuickPeek these days without news on Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots? Konami recently released a bunch of screenshots for the game from the previously released cinematic trailer. They’re nothing we haven’t seen before, but at least now they’re wallpaper-friendly.
Link: Konami unveils screenshots for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
It’s not often we get to include a homebrew update for the PlayStation 3 here in QuickPeek, so this is a treat. Introducing the PS3 PUP Extractor. What makes this PUP Extractor from the others is the presence of a GUI, and also the ability to generate SHA1 files and to extract the image version of the PUP.
Link: PS3 homebrew: PS3 PUP Extractor v1.00
That’s it for this week’s updates, but remember, there’s more about Ubidays in our General Gaming section below!
– QJ.NET’s PlayStation 3 team
Xbox 360: Out with the old and in with the new
Last week, Microsoft revealed that they will be cutting out underperforming titles from XBLA. Quite a stunning move, perhaps, but out with the old and in with the new as they say. Don’t worry though, Microsoft explained that once you downloaded a game before it was delisted, you can download it again via your download history.
Based on the three criteria that Microsoft said would dictate whether or not a game would be delisted, a compiled list of potential games popped up on the net. Over 40 games are in danger of being delisted. That’s quite a death list. Seems even Pac-Man is in danger of getting the boot.
Link: Microsoft clarifies XBLA games delistment
Link: XBLA: Possible roster of games to be delisted
As we said though – out with the old and in with the new. Xbox director of product management Aaron Greenberg hinted that bigger and better things are in store for Xbox Live Arcade in the near future, especially now that the file size limit of games has been increased to 350 MB.
Link: Xbox director: expect big announcements for Xbox Live Arcade soon
Huge this week is a hefty Gears of War 2 update. For those who are following the game’s development closely, you’ll be glad to know that it’s already 65% complete. Still no word on whether the game will be getting four player co-op, but we did get plenty of info on the game’s multiplayer mode.
GoW 2‘s multiplayer supports up to 5-on-5, with a new Halo-style matchmaking system. There’s also loads of info on new multiplayer modes, maps, and weapons.
There’s also word that the Collector’s Edition of GoW 2 may (“may” being the operative word) include a weathered-looking Polaroid of Dom’s wife, like the one you see in the game. Read up on all the updates after the link!
Link: Gears of War 2 multiplayer details: 5v5, Halo-style matchmaking, more
While we’re on the subject, GameStop has released a repackaged version of the original Gears of War game. The redux version will get a bunch of new content, including new themes, picture packs, and multiplayer map packs. The best thing about the repackage is new bonus content featuring Gears of War 2.
Link: Gears of War Redux: multiplayer maps, GoW 2 preview, more
Looks like a lot of changes are in store for Xbox Live Arcade in the future. Of course you can rely on us to give you the latest on it, so check back for updates!
– QJ.NET’s Xbox 360 team
Nintendo Wii: Something’s brewing
Ninjas and Jedi are coming to the Wii! Not together though. This week saw the announcement of two upcoming games for the Wii. First up is the return of the fun-loving ninja, Naruto, in the sequel to Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution. No word yet on when it will be released though.
After the knife-throwing world of adolescent ninjas come the lightsaber-toting gang of the Star Wars universe. More Wiimote action will be coming our way in Star Wars: The Clone Wars from LucasArts. From what we can tell, it looks like the game will be based on the style and story of the upcoming Clone Wars CGI film.
Link: Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 confirmed in Shonen Jump
Link: Star Wars: The Clone Wars game adaptation heading to DS, Wii
Now this piece of news isn’t on an upcoming game, but an upcoming update to an already released game, Rock Band. Although Wii owners don’t have the convenience of downloading updates for the game, the guys at Harmonix were still able to find a way around this. On July 15, they will be releasing Track Pack Volume 1, a standalone disc that contains new tracks for the game.
Link: Rock Band Wii Track Pack Volume 1 details
Here’s the last update for games before we go on to our homebrew updates for the Wii. On WiiWare this week, we finally see the arrival of Dr. Mario Online Rx, the latest incarnation of Mario donning a stethoscope. Also this week is Metal Slug on the Virtual Console. The classic run and gun game promises hours of endless trigger-happy fun.
Link: US VC and WiiWare update: Dr. Mario Online Rx, Metal Slug, more
On to the homebrew updates! Emulators seem to be the name of the game this week in Wii homebrew. Several developers recently corroborated to release Wii64, a Nintendo 64 emulator. Not long after, developer LoPsT also released SNES9X for the Wii, an SNES emulator that now features support for the homebrew channel. As if that wasn’t enough, emu_kidid also released an update for the Visual Boy Advance emulator for the Wii.
Link: Wii Homebrew SNES9X – support for Homebrew Channel, front SD card
Link: Homebrew: Wii64, Nintendo 64 emulator for the Wii
Link: Wii homebrew emulator: Visual Boy Advance v1.7.2 (final update)
Also this week is an update for hill_hibou’s Wii Homebrew Launcher, packed with new features and improvements. Perhaps in complement to this is the release of the WAD Manager, which allows you to install and uninstall Virtual Console and WiiWare games on your console.
Link: Wii Homebrew Launcher 0.5 – now with more personalization options
Link: WAD Manager v1.0 makes landfall for Wiis
Whoa, the Wii homebrew community is really booming! We hope to see more exciting updates next week. See you then!
– QJ.NET’s Nintendo Wii team
General Gaming: Something’s gone odd
Ubisoft made some waves this week with Ubidays, their annual trade show. The event even extended to the virtual world, when they held it online in PlayStation Home’s new Media and Events Space. During the event (the real-life one in Paris) they revealed new info and trailers for several of their upcoming games.
Probably their biggest update is for Far Cry 2, where they shared detailed info for the game, as well as a trailer and a video of the game’s demo. A major announcement during the event was the confirmation of Beyond Good & Evil 2, the sequel to the first game released back in 2003. They even released a trailer, which you can watch after the link.
Finally, Ubisoft also shared new info on Tom Clancy’s EndWar and Tom Clancy’s HAWX. One of the more exciting reveals was that the two games will actually have some crossover. Players in EndWar can actually request support from units in HAWX.
Link: Ubidays 2008: Far Cry 2 life-saving friendly AI, more
Link: Ubidays 2008: new Far Cry 2 trailer released
Link: Ubidays 2008: Debut trailer for Beyond Good and Evil 2 revealed
Link: Ubidays 2008: Tom Clancy’s EndWar features voice commands, more
Ubisoft isn’t the only studio with great games in store for the future though. Two well-established franchises have been announced to have upcoming sequels: Street Fighter, and that oddball of a game, (*squee*) Oddworld. Unfortunately, all we have on Oddworld right now is confirmation that the game is already in development.
Link: Oddworld Inhabitants’ Lorne Lanning confirms new Oddworld title
Along with confirmation on the platforms Street Fighter 4 will appear in, Capcom also revealed some of the features we can expect from the game, as well as the identities of the new characters that will be introduced.
Link: Street Fighter 4 confirmed on rumored platforms; more details kick in
Link: New Street Fighter 4 characters revealed; more details, screens from Capcom
Now… more news on Grand Theft Auto 4! Yeah, you were expecting it folks. It’s been a month now but we’re still getting news on the game. Well, what can you expect? It’s GTA4, ’nuff said. Wanna know how great the game is? It helped the economy of the UK by cushioning a drop in retails sales, that’s how.
This isn’t surprising, considering how well the game’s been selling. The game is still on top of the UK Charts. In fact, it hasn’t left that spot since it claimed it when it was released back in April. It’s also worth noting that Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures has also been released in the UK, and debuted just below GTA4.
Speaking of Grand Theft Auto 4, you’ll be glad to know that the Rockstar Games Social Club leaderboards are now live. Follow the link for more details.
Link: Grand Theft Auto IV helps U.K.’s economy
Link: Chart Track UK: GTA IV still on top, Age of Conan debuts at second
Link: Grand Theft Auto 4 leaderboards live now
Ending this week’s General Gaming updates is news on Spore, the game where evolution goes crazy. A new video has been released for the game, showing some of the things your creature will do in the game. The video shows how creatures react in combat, how they interact with each other, and even how they acquire new limbs.
Link: Spore Creature Stage video revealed
Science and Technology: One step closer to free energy, one step closer to Star Trek!
Cold Fusion. It’s that elusive process that, if discovered, could provide cheap and efficient energy, and could quite possibly end financial crises the world over, end world hunger, cure cancer and all that. Ok, maybe not, but it’s going to be a huge thing if it’s ever discovered. Unfortunately, a controversy over the subject over two decades ago caused most scientists to doubt that it even exists.
However, one retired physics professor claims to have found the secret that has eluded scientists all these years. In fact, he was able to demonstrate his process of Cold Fusion to the media, as well as people from universities and various companies. We’ve yet to hear of proper confirmation of its authenticity, but if it proves to be the real deal, the world may have a solid chance to be a better place.
Link: Retired professor claims to have found the secret to cold fusion
At the D: All Things Digital conference 2008, Microsoft demonstrated Windows 7. What’s so special about this demo you ask? Well, they showed off the OS’s new touch feature, much like their own Microsoft Surface. The tech was demonstrated on a special touch-capable monitor – so it’s like Microsoft Surface, only in PC form.
Touchscreens seem to be the in-thing these days, thanks to the iPhone. Unfortunately, it seems that we won’t see Windows 7 come out in the near future. According to Microsoft, there’s still two more years to go before its release.
Link: Gates, Ballmer demo Windows 7 at D: All Things Digital 08
Odds-and-Ends: Guitars and undies
It’s been more than a week since the seventh season of American Idol ended, kicking off David Cook’s career in the music industry. This week’s odds and ends is actually a bit late, but we weren’t able to include it in last week’s QuickPeek since it was already so packed. But just for fun, we present you with American Idol finalists David Cook and David Archuleta in their ads for Guitar Hero… in their undies.
Link: Guitar Hero World Tour priced; GH ads from American Idol finalists Cook, Archuleta
Comment of the Week: In the spirit of Metal Gear
We all know that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is Hideo Kojima’s final Metal Gear. The creator of Solid Snake won’t be hanging his hat in the video game business though, he’s just going to work on other projects from now on. It doesn’t mean the end of The Metal Gear series either. Kojima recently expressed that “MGS will always be around.”
As reassuring as this is though, some of you out there may start to worry that without Kojima, the series may quickly degrade into a franchise that would continue long after the spirit of the original series faded. Now that Kojima is taking a step back from MGS, what is to become of the series now? Reader Apeaggedon expressed his ideas on the matter, and some of us feel inclined to agree with him.
