QuickJump QuickPeek #65: Thank you, GDC! Of revelations, revolutions, evolutions
We’ve got an exceptionally news-filled week for issue #65 of the QuickJump QuickPeek, thanks in part (a whole lot) to the recently-concluded GDC that happened in San Francisco. There were a lot of announcements and revelations, both inspiring and jaw-dropping alike. Yep, it’s looking like it’s gonna be yet another good year for gaming.
We’ve got an exceptionally news-filled week for issue #65 of the QuickJump QuickPeek, thanks in part (a whole lot) to the recently-concluded GDC that happened in San Francisco. There were a lot of announcements and revelations, both inspiring and jaw-dropping alike.
But that doesn’t mean all the juicy things happened in San Fran. Yep, the gaming world is abuzz and it’s crossing boundaries. It does look like it’s gonna be good year for gaming.
The PSP vs. iPhone debate continues to rage on, even putting the Sony vs. Microsoft family feud to the backseat for a change. The digital revolution is at hand, too, as even Koller has reiterated that it will play a pivotal role to the PSP in the future.
Link: PSP Weekend Warrior
A potential exploit has been discovered for the PSP-3000 via Phantasy Star Portable, leading the community to once again lit up that torch of hope for homebrew on the elusive 3K. Do take note, though, that it’s just a “potential” exploit, so don’t pop that champagne cork just yet. You’re more than welcome do join in on the race, though.
And thank you, AhMan!!! As Karl B. put it, the oober cool “advanced multi-tasking” iR Shell he’s teased us with is finally out and about! And did it live up to the high expectations set. Be grateful, you all.
Link: PSP Homebrew Weekend Warrior
Thanks to the GDC, we’ve got bucketloads of cool gaming updates for the PlayStation 3. How about a new Metal Gear game? Or tricks and trips on the God of War III, perhaps? Or! Or! Uncharted 2 eetsy-beety details, that are by no means minute.
And there’s more beyond the GDC, too, as we’ve finally got a solution for that Yellow Light of Death. Would you like to have some Killzone 2 demo, too? In 4D. Take that. There’s more that went down, so go clicky on that linky.
Link: PS3 Weekend Warrior
Uh-oh. Microsoft’s on the other end of the stick now. If the past couple of weeks saw a fierce Microsoft with a lot of fighting words, this week saw them lie down low, whilst the BBC’s Watchdog clucked its tongue at them for the disc-scratching Xbox 360s. Not to mention, one of their game designers is not all that happy about the way their office allegedly treated him upon finding out he was gay.
And the gaming front weren’t exactly peachy too. The Pitt DLC for Fallout 3 easily fell into the pits, thanks to the floating exclamation marks and glitches (hey, at least they weren’t phallic). Fortunately the quickfix sent out really was quick, but still.
Oh, and Blizzard was heard asking MS about their next Xbox. Hmmm… hmmm…
Link: Xbox 360 Weekend Warrior
The WiiDS sure is smokin’ this week. Square Enix took a big bite out of the WiiDS pie with a truckload of surprises for the Wiimote-toting fan. Among the items in their goodie bag is the confirmation that Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is indeed gonna be on WiiWare exclusively, along with other Squeenix titles.
And what’s this? Hints at yet another Zelda game? Didn’t hurt either that we got more new details on Kingdom Hearts 358/2 from the ever-reliable Famitsu.
On the homebrew front, things are getting heated up, courtesy of the amazing developers who never get tired of dishing out homebrewed awesomeness for the Wii. waninkoko got his Wii Firmware Updater updated earlier this week, and the new System Menu v4.0 got checked out by Team Twiizers – with both good and bad news. Making it just in the nick of time is t3hsk33n, who came out with a preview video for the good-looking Snes9XGx.
It’s all in the WiiDS. Check that out.
Link: WiiDS Weekend Warrior
The games just keep coming in for the alleged PSP killer. With the support it’s been garnering from developers and publishers alike, it’s certainly giving the other handhelds a run for its money, despite the miles-away differences between them. Still, you can’t deny the fact it’s been found to be rather appealing to some (and growing) sectors of the gaming devs community.
Mega Man, Wolfenstein, and the stretchy Noby Noby Boy will (or has) landed on the iPhone. That’s to keep you busy while you’ve been put on hold by the person on the other end of the phone.
Link: iPhone Weekend Warrior
General Gaming:
Now as for the rest of the gaming world, the more universal bits of news are here. All juicy, all noisy. Starting off with the jaw-dropping CryEngine 3 debuted by Crytek at the GDC, it certainly feels as though they’ve come prepared not only for this generation’s consoles, but even for the next – yes, despite what Pachter believes that we’ve seen the last of the consoles race.
Link: GDC 09: CryEngine 3 makes jaw-dropping debut
Link: Pachter predicts: this is the last consoles race; analysts disagree
And a curious looking bit on Blizzard’s hiring and hinting at an unannounced game. First they were having a tete-a-tete with Microsoft about the new Xbox and then this? Something’s up, I tell you, and it’s going the way of MS.
Link: Blizzard now hiring: hints at new unannounced game
Meanwhile, PETA gets bitten back right in their behind on their dog-killing complaint on Activision’s CoD. Hey, how come it’s not okay for you to see dogs get killed in a war (when that’s part of what actually happened), but not a word on the brutality of war on man? Somebody needs to get their priorities straight.
Link: Woof: Activision responds to PETA’s dog-killing complaint
And last but definitely not the least, the ever-resilient Mr. Jack Thompson. His violent video game bill gets vetoed, but then again, he pulls an Elle Woods and went to the White House – well, not literally – to lobby to the president the nationwide ban on ‘murder simulators’.
Link: Utah Governor vetoes Jack Thompson’s violent video game bill
Link: Dear Mr. President: Jack Thompson asks Obama for nationwide ban on ‘murder simulators’
And don’t forget about the QuickGuide and How-To installments in the series for this week. For QuickGuide, we gave out a profile of the man of the hour, thanks to his new, oober-cool iR Shell, AhMan. To cap off the week, we then presented the How-To install stuff for the said cool application, again for the newcomers out there.
We’ve got more interesting and informative things lined up for you in the coming days, weeks, months, so do stay and keep us company.
Link: QuickJump QuickGuide: The AhMazing Ah-Man: Father of iR Shell
Link: QJ’s How-To: Installing AhMan’s iR Shell
CoW:
Time for some Moo! This week, we’re highlighting a comment that rides on the fiercely heating up face-off between the PSP and the iPhone. While it’s nothing that hasn’t been said before, it certainly puts things in perspective, especially in a thread where things (and opinions) can easily go skewed and astray, but mostly out of loyalty.
Congratulations to kittykat!
Link: iPhone is better than the PSP and the DS, says ngmoco
And that’s it for this week’s issue of the QuickJump QuickGuide at #65. Now rest assured, that despite the end of the GDC week, we’d still be continuing to keep you posted and up to date on the latest and hottest gaming news in the industry.
So till next week! Just keep jumpin’!