QuickJump QuickPeek Issue # 4: Of untimely resignations, super hackers, and Dual-Shock/SIXAXIS marriages

(From the Editor: Another week, another issue of the QuickJump QuickPeek for all of us! The gaming community was pelted with hard hitting updates the past seven days, fortunately for you guys our hardworking writers from various teams managed to squeeze in some time for this awesome issue. This ish is extra beefy since it marks the first month since our weekly compilation of heaps of gaming info was initialized. To celebrate that, we’re once again showcasing a comment from one of our more in/famous regulars. Last week it was Mister Common Sense, I wonder who it’ll be this week? Read the whole article to find out!)

Whoa! It’s really hard to keep track of time especially when you’ve been deeply absorbed by the gravity of your current undertaking. Hmm, “gravity”. That sounds a pretty good word to describe the week’s recent events. Gravity’s synonymous to “implications”, and the things we’re about to report will surely eat up our time figuring out what the backlash will be. Surprised? Try imagining what will happen to Microsoft after the resignation of Peter Moore. Or imagine the possibilities opening for the PlayStation Portable with a super team of hackers reportedly working on another custom firmware. You could also try to figure out what kind of new PS3 controller, announced by Kaz Hirai, Sony and Immersion could come up with. Brain juices oozing with possibilities? Read on to find more:

The full issue awaits after the jump!

(From the Editor: Another week, another issue of the QuickJump QuickPeek for all of us! The gaming community was pelted with hard hitting updates the past seven days; fortunately for you guys our hardworking writers from various teams managed to squeeze in some time for this awesome issue. This ish is extra beefy since it marks the first month since our weekly compilation of heaps of gaming info was initialized. To celebrate that, we’re once again showcasing a comment from one of our more in/famous regulars. Last week it was Mister Common Sense, I wonder who it’ll be this week? Read the whole article to find out!)

Whoa! It’s really hard to keep track of time especially when you’ve been deeply absorbed by the gravity of your current undertaking. Hmm, “gravity”. That sounds a pretty good word to describe the week’s recent events. Gravity’s synonymous to “implications”, and the things we’re about to report will surely eat up our time figuring out what the backlash will be. Surprised?

Try imagining what will happen to Microsoft after the resignation of Peter Moore. Or imagine the possibilities opening for the PlayStation Portable with a super team of hackers reportedly working on another custom firmware. You could also try to figure out what kind of new PS3 controller, announced by Kaz Hirai, Sony and Immersion could come up with. Brain juices oozing with possibilities? Read on to find more:

PlayStation Portable
Exciting news from the PSP homebrew front! As we predicted last week, the recent announcement of PSP Slim ignited the bored will of various homebrewers for the PSP. Challenged by the promise of new hardware to crack, the PSP community unleashed a sea of homebrew updates, and fresh exploits and hacks for the PSP.

The earlier part of this week was rocked by a red hot update coming in the form of a new custom firmware for Sony’s 23rd firmware update, 3.51. Russian sensations, Team M33, presented the CFW-thirsty public with their trailblazing new project. Granted it’s still in the early stages of development, but the way these guys have been updating their CFW, we’re sure we’ll have another prized non-commercial firmware in our PSPs in no time.

Another piece of update that caused the PSP homebrew-loving public a healthy mix of bewilderment and excitement, is the revelation that a mysterious team is creating another custom firmware for 3.51. This project is being undertaken by a super team of 10 developers (who wished to remain anonymous), that plan to create the custom firmware by reverse-engineering one of Dark AleX’s previous works. What makes the project interesting is that the dev team claims that once it’s finished, their CF v3.51 will surpass even DA’s legendary works. Well, a little bit of ambition and competition is good for the community right? Let’s all wait and see how this will unravel.

We bring you more firmware-related talks with this update. Unless you’ve been living under a rock (of Mt. Everest proportions), we’re sure you’ve already heard about the trimmed-down PSP’s second coming. You’re all aware it’ll be 19% slimmer and about 33% lighter than the PSP’s we currently own, but what’s remained a mystery (at least until we ran the story) is what firmware it sports and what kinds of features that firmware will boast. In case you missed that report, here’s the list again:

• a UMD Cache feature that will be used to increase the load speed of loaded UMDs
• a feature that allows users to change the type of TV that is connected to the handheld
• options to change screensaver settings
• PSP games, when played on TV sets, are bordered, rendered at 480×272, and for progressive scan only

It appears Sony’s really been doing their homework as they’ve provided us with awesome updates this time. The PSP Slim is really shaping to be one sweet multimedia device. Updates as we get them.

That’s it from us. If this week’s any indication, then we can all look forward to a better future, at least for the coming days.

-by QJ.Net’s PSP team

PlayStation 3
It’s also been quite the week for Sony’s shiny black console, with a ton of updates about some of the hottest titles that the entire videogame community’s waiting on pins and needles for. Let’s get right to the brightest highlights for the PlayStation 3.

First up is some console-related news to get things started. There are some rumors going around that there’s going to be a much more affordable PS3 SKU, in the form of a US$399 40 GB model. While the lower price point is certainly more attractive, there’s the downside of a lower-capacity HDD and no backwards-compatibility. Not a really good deal, since you’re practically forsaking the entire PS2 library (that’s legendary in its own right) for a discount. Still, it’s just a rumor, so here’s hoping it’s true-ish.

More console news here, and it’s about the PS3 controller we all know and love. In a recent interview, Kaz Hirai, Sony Computer Entertainment’s global president, talked about the handy little device and what’s in store for it. Readers should remember that Sony and Immersion have already reached an agreement over the highly-talked about rumble function, and should be delighted to know that they’re already working hand-in-hand to give us the controller that will finally get us into the groove that we were in during the heydays of the PlayStation 2. So far, they’re still mum about the entire thing, but Kaz left us with a positive insight of better things for the controller.

Now to the games! Definitely loads of updates coming from all sides. First up is the confirmation of the next-gen sequel to the cult classic LocoRoco – and from what we know, it’s going to be awesome. Soul Calibur 4 popped up with a screenshot update, giving us a closer look at the graphics. Big news from Katamari Damacy‘s creator – the quirky series of ball-rolling fun may have left the PS3, but he’s making an entirely new IP for the console entitled Nobi Nobi Boy. No exact details on how it’s actually going to play like, but a definite clue here is how the main character, Nobi Nobi Boy, stretches. Then there’s a massive news update from Resident Evil 5, the debunking of the Sweet Tooth Cloud, and the confirmation of an online mode for the highly-anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

Whew! It’s been a hell of week for the PS3, filled with a lot of big updates and even bigger surprises. Business is picking up!

-By QJ.Net’s PS3 team

Xbox 360
This week is important to Microsoft especially after a not-so-stellar performance during this year’s E3. We all know how our favorite console, Xbox 360 was plagued with bricking reports the other week. Despite hearing all about the bad news, we’re still confident that the mean green machine will bounce back.

Microsoft however continued to have problems this week. Of course, there have been the usual updates for our favorite video game titles but the loudest trumpets were sounded from the negative side of the spectrum. All said, we give you now a breakdown of what has transpired during the past week with a rather heavy heart.

The entire videogame industry was shocked to wake up one morning to find that Xbox 360/Internet Entertainment Business Division Corporate VP Peter Moore is leaving Microsoft behind. Headed to Electronic Arts, he’ll be manning the top position of the company’s EA Sports division. He said that the reason for this is his family and nothing more.

Another big blow suffered by the Xbox 360 community this week is the cancellation of Microsoft’s annual event dubbed as the “X0” Show. As you all know, this is where the company showcases the latest and most anticipated hardware, software, and service offerings for the console. It is usually held in key European cities.

We’re not certain if this negative press has a direct impact on what we’re about to report – it seems that Xbox 360’s performance in the marketplace has been dipping recently. It was reported that the console is still leading in total hardware sales, or at least that’s the picture in America, but a significant slow down was recorded.

Things are not looking so cool either on the software side of things. We’ve received word that Bungie is having a hard time implementing the co-op mode for Halo 3 over Xbox Live, and there’s a possibility that it will just go offline. We also learned that Silicon Knights is currently suing Epic Games over, among other things, breach of contract regarding the performance of Unreal Engine 3.

And that pretty much sums things up for this week. We hope to report better things next week – if not from Microsoft or the developers themselves, at least on the homebrew front. Wait, didn’t you know that popular PlayStation Portable homebrew developer Mathieulh is considering giving 360 homebrew a try?

-by QJ.Net’s Xbox 360 team

Wii
With our gamer spider-sense still tingling with post-E3 afterglow, this week has certainly been an interesting one for the Nintendo Wii with the usual updates and news that keeps us enchanted, with the little white box that could. And as is customary of the QuickJump QuickPeek, here’s the rundown on what’s the latest with the Wii.

Let’s start things off serious-like, and it’s about Wii Safety. No, it’s not about how one should be careful when swinging that Wiimote around – it’s all fun and games until someone’s TV gets a Wiimote-shaped hole in it – it’s about how leaving the console’s internet connectivity feature, “WiiConnect24,” activated, could potentially damage and/or brick your Wii. The good news is that this only poses a risk of brick-age IF you constantly leave the Wii on standby mode and have WiiConnect24 turned on for long periods of time. Our suggestion? If you’re not using it, deactivate it. Easier on your utilities bill AND on your Wii.

Moving onto the numbers part of the rundown, the Wii’s still selling like hotcakes and there’s no sign of stopping. In fact, it’s already closing in on the current next-gen console leader – the Xbox 360 – with a little over a million separating both consoles in terms of worldwide sales. Demand is such that Nintendo’s outsourcing companies from Taiwan just to keep up. We’re pretty sure this could be one of the reasons why Miyamoto’s smiling so much.

Now the meat of the rundown – i.e. games, games, and more games. First up is Miyamoto’s convenient slip about a 1:1 sword fighting game for the Wii, which he says Nintendo has a lot of ideas for. He also let slip the interesting tidbit of a fencing game in the already-legendary franchise crossover, Mario & Sonic at the Olympics. While fencing’s more of forcing your opponent to reveal openings and exploiting them, rather than the hack-and-slash swordfighting we’ve been hankering for, it’d certainly be a start.

And of course, this QuickJump QuickPeek for this week wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the big updates on the Wii’s upcoming games and peripherals. We see the Wii Zapper in action in Ghost Squad, as well as a product tester getting his groove on with a WiiFit demonstration, complete with the Balance Board (which also got a nod from Toriyama). And then there’s the usual news about Forever Blue, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, a potential Pikmin sequel on the Wii, a Medal of Honor: Heroes sequel, and Rockstar’s Table Tennis. Changing tack a bit here, regarding the controversy surrounding Manhunt 2‘s banning, Rockstar has finally spoken out against those who contributed to the title not being given a rating, saying that it was an affront to creativity.

All in all, a very interesting week indeed. Was it good for you as it was for Wii? Sure hope so. See you next week!

-by QJ.Net’s Wii Team

General Games:

DS
It doesn’t look too good for DS gamers who want to see Halo for the DS as it has been revealed there are currently no plans to develop it for said handheld. This came straight from Bungie’s community guy himself, so it must be true right? Still, we know that FPS games can be handled pretty well by the DS (i.e. Call of Duty DS) so we’re going to keep the dream alive and keep hoping for Halo to come to our system.

In other news, QJ Blogger Ryan C. has just finished putting up his Budget Bin review of Etrian Odyssey and we’re still amazed at the amount of work he placed into it. This game is one of the toughest RPGs we’ve seen on the DS so nobody had the guts to actually do a complete playthrough except Ryan. Make sure you check it out. [Hat’s off Ryan, thanks for taking one for the team – Ed]

– QJ.Net’s DS team

World of Warcraft
Hail fellow World of Warcraft Players! This week was all about the few issues that were addressed by the CM’s. Among them is a solution for the shoulder “problem” of the Orcs and the implementation of in-game VoIP and guild banks. All three issues should be resolved come patch 2.2.

In other news, the South Park episode 147: “Make Love, Not Warcraft” has been nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Animated Program category. While we all know that it was a misrepresentation of the average WoW gamer (heck, there were no heaps of doughnuts which is a staple of the WoW team when we raid…), it’s nice to see that our gamer niche is getting more publicity.

Finally, we have the World Series of Video Games which will be featuring World of Warcraft. The event will be televised on CBS this July 29. The best players in North America including Team Pandemic will be competing for a prize pot of US$ 90,000. This is something that competitive players will definitely want to see…

-QJ.Net’s WoW Team

PC Gaming
Three big announcements this week, with the first being FarCry 2 for the PC. When the original FarCry came out, quite a few of the FPS fanatics here in the PC Gaming team were frothing at the mouth due to the awesome graphics and gameplay. The first game set a very high standard, it would be interesting to see what the sequel will have to top that.

The second announcement is a rather sad one for developers, the GDC Korea has been cancelled for this year. Don’t worry though, GDC Korea 2008 is still going to push through next year. The other GDC conferences in Austin and China will still be pushing through though, so that’s something to look forward to.

The biggest announcement this week however, is the impending arrival of Gears of War for the PC. This means that we’ll be able to play this awesome game on our systems with (*ahem*) proper mouse and keyboard control. Of course, we’re sure our Xbox 360 brethren will probably have something to say about that. We’ll be settling this argument in a manner befitting our gamer status: online play on Windows Live, that is if Microsoft allows console to PC compatibility.

-QJ PC Gaming Team

Comment of the week (***New Section***)

The section for the most popular figure in the gaming industry, YOU!!! We have another comment that stroke creative thinking, and garnered support from the readers. Here’s QJ.Net regular, cubiCPixel, sharing his thoughts on PSP Slim and how he thinks the consumers will benefit from it, word for word:

Sweet!

You can’t diss a refreshed hardware. period.

Slim is ok, tv output is good but allready done, better battery (order it from divineo.com), no infrared.. common! I love to freakout people with IRShell haha

The new PSP will be hacked like all machines. If Sony can access its inner memory, then anyone will with time. Its a simple fact that hackers are always going to be there. The community is building strong. I my self am addicted to this piece of black goodness 😀

Dark Alex wasn’t the only person behind all the mods. He was and always will be a legend to the PSP, but lets not forget all other devs. Small or big everyone has an impact on the PSP community. Even the “..first post!..” retarded people to anyone simply giving out ideas. As long as there is attention related to homebrew, there will be hacks.

Keep up the good work people, peace 😀

See you again next week!