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Quickies

HCW Q: Playstation 3 Rumors

Not much to post today, but a couple PS3 rumors:

Playstation 3 Slim Casing

  • Remember that PS3 slim rumor from right before E3, that nobody thought could possibly be real because it was so damn ugly? Well that rumor is looking more true than ever, with reports coming from Taiwanese game site UDN. According to their report, Foxconn is among the companies that has started manufacturing them, and they may be shipping to retailers as early as next month. As hard to believe as it is that Sony would make such an ugly gaming device, I guess it might be true after all. We’ll find out soon enough.
  • As you may recall, the Playstation 3 first crippled PS2 backwards compatibility by partially emulating games before removing compatibility all together. Reports are now coming in that Sony has patented PS2 software emulation capability for Cell processors. If this is true, and they can get games working properly, this could be a major boon for the Playstation 3. If they were really smart, they’d offer PS2 games on PSN.
  • If you missed yesterday’s post, we have a guide on how to use the PS3 controller in all versions of Windows, both 32-bit and 64-bit. If you have been looking for a good gamepad to use in Windows, you finally have one.
PC Software | Video Game Hardware

How to Use a Playstation 3 Controller in 64 bit Windows 7 and Vista

One of our more popular blog posts this year has been the guide on how to use a PS3 controller in Windows Vista. Many thousands of people found that guide to be helpful, but unfortunately 64-bit users were left in the dark. Furthermore, the driver only offered basic functionality, and many of the PS3 controller’s features were missing. This includes Bluetooth connectivity, SixAxis motion detection, and even the rumble feature of DualShock 3.

Today, there is a solution for all these problems, thanks to the folks at MotionInJoy, based in ShenZhen China, just across the border from me. They have created a driver that works on all versions of Windows, including XP, Vista, and even Windows 7. There are versions for 32-bit x86 and 64-bit x64. Their English is a little choppy, so figuring out the exact method of installing the drivers may be confusing for some. Here’s an illustrated guide on how to install Windows drivers for your Playstation 3 controller:

Download the appropriate drivers from MotionInJoy.

Run the install, by default it will place the drivers and software in C:\Program Files\MotioninJoy\ds3

windows-7-advanced-boot-options

Restart Windows – when it starts to boot up again, hit F8 just after the BIOS does its POST. Select “Disable driver signature enforcement” - this is very important!

ps3-controller-windows-64-usb-input-device

Plug in your Playstation 3 controller. If you haven’t done this before, you will see that some basic Windows drivers are installed. This might lead you to believe that the controller will work right away, but unfortunately it won’t.

ps3-controller-windows-64-run-as-administrator

From the Start button, run the “Install driver” for the appropriate connection method you’ll be using. Make sure to right click and “Run as administrator” or the driver will not install properly. Restart Windows again.

ps3-controller-windows-64-setup-window

Now run the “DS3 Tool” program. This will allow you to run the controller with whatever features you wish. I’m not sure if there is a reason not to enable all functionality. Perhaps performance could be an issue, so only enable the features you need.

ps3-controller-windows-64-workingIf you followed the guide correctly, you should see your controller listed, and have full control of all the inputs. On my first attempt, I neglected to “Run as administrator” so I only saw the controller listed, but had no contol over it.

ps3-controller-windows-64-driver-errorIf you see that dialog box,  you did it wrong, and the driver did not install. Make sure to hit F8 when you boot Windows, and make sure you Run as Administrator!

Finally, we have a decent gamepad to use in Windows, including 64-bit. Enjoy! Thanks to the folks at MotionInJoy for creating this driver.

*Note* Keep in mind that installing unsigned drivers is considered by Microsoft to be a major security issue (or a major source of income, depending on who you listen to), so to use these drivers on a 64-bit OS, you will need to use F8 to boot every time. There are ways to permanently disable signed drivers in 64-bit Windows, but it is considered a major security flaw to do so, and is a major hassle to set up (and is constantly being patched by Microsoft). This will be the case with any unofficial driver release, not just these ones.

Video Game Hardware

I Told You it Was Going to Happen *Updated*

Red Ring of Death

“…it just seems that having your XBOX 360 die on you is not a threat, but an inevitability.”

Sometimes I hate being right. I mention the RROD factor in all my XBOX 360 vs. Playstation 3 articles (check our Year 1 and Year 2), but until it happened to me, I didn’t have the true perspective of what a pain in the ass it could be.

And yesterday, on my 30th birthday, my 3-year-2-month-old XBOX 360 decided to RROD on me.

I’m going to spend the day trying to fix it, playing with the X-Clamp. If all goes well, I may document it here. Stay tuned! Will Carl’s XBOX 360 get fixed?

*Update* Unfortunately my efforts were in vain. After 2 attempts at installing the heatsinks using the “X-Clamp Fix Method” (here’s a decent enough guide), I am still getting the RROD. So until further notice, I’ll be PS3 and PC (and Wii) exclusive. Time to play some Trine! I’ll probably pick up an Arcade when some really good 360 exclusives start showing up.

PC Software

Pre-Order Windows 7 Upgrade and Save

As we mentioned yesterday, Microsoft is pricing Windows 7 low enough to be worthy of consideration not just by people who are way behind with XP, but those who went with Vista as well. As good as Vista is (and despite morons telling you otherwise, it is good), Windows 7 truly is what Vista should have been.

Microsoft has partnered with several retailers to offer the upgrade version of Windows 7 at a discounted price – $49 for Home Premium, and $99 for Professional. This is a nice discount from the final MSRP of $120 and $200, respectively. You can find links to online dealers on this Microsoft page. Canadians will be able to pick it up for $65 and $125 right here (despite the fact that a direct currency conversion translates to $57 and $115)

This deal is only available until July 11.

Quickies

HCW Q: New Shuttle SFF, Windows 7 Pricing, id Buyout, Video Game T-Shirts

Hey all, I’m writing this update from a tethered Edge GPRS connection (yeah, we Windows Mobile users have been tethering our phone connections for about 10 years now. It’s nothing new, believe me). It maxes out at absolutely 20 KB/s, so browsing is pretty slow. Better than nothing! Until Sunday, when my new 30 Mbps connection is set up.

There has been quite a bit of news while I have been moving to a new apartment over the last week:
Shuttle G2 7600

  • It’s been quite a while since we heard from Shuttle, but they are still around, keeping their motherboards up to date and using the fantastic chassis introduced with the SN25P we reviewed several years ago. Their latest is the G2 7600, which uses the AMD 760G chipset with an AM3 socket. That means it should support every Phenom II out there, which should make for an excellent SFF system. It would be great to review one of these, so stay tuned!
  • Microsoft have just announced their pricing scheme for Windows 7, and it looks like they won’t be making the same mistake they did with Vista; $200 for a full OS seems like a pretty good deal to me! And based on using the RC for a while, it will totally be worth upgrading.
    • Windows 7 Home Premium (Full): $199.99
    • Windows 7 Professional (Full): $299.99
    • Windows 7 Ultimate (Full): $319.99
    • Windows 7 Home Premium (Upgrade): $119.99
    • Windows 7 Professional (Upgrade): $199.99
    • Windows 7 Ultimate (Upgrade): $219.99
  • I’m sure everyone knows by now, but Id Software had been purchased by Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax. I guess it was only a matter of time, and doesn’t come as a shock to me. The most significant part of this story is following John Romero’s tweets after the announcement was made. Talk about an about-face!
    • @theromero: ZENIMAX??????? Disgusting.
    • @theromero: Fallout 3 bought DOOM. Wow.
    • @theromero: i am positive about the Zenimax deal. my initial reaction was harsh. sorry.
  • If you are in the market for some cool Japanese video game T-Shirts, KidSamurai got some new Uniqlo styles in stock. My favourite by far is the Makaimura/Ghosts N Goblins shirt. The material is a cool distressed style, perfect for summer. Some sizes are hard to get, so don’t delay!

Ghosts n Goblins / Makaimura T-Shirt

Consumer Electronics | Mobile Computing

Twikini is the Best Twitter Software for Windows Mobile

If you’re like me, you haven’t been sold on the novelty of the iPhone just yet. A lot of people have pushed it as a fun gaming device, but until the 3Gs comes out, I am not dying to try it. Besides, I have been using Windows Mobile for nearly a decade, even when it was called Pocket PC back in the day. I have stuck with WinMo since then; while it has its drawbacks, it just offers so much more power and choice over the insanely restrictive iPhone (and there you have the main argument for anything against an Apple product: CHOICE).

However, since Windows Mobile isn’t the hot must-have gadget that everyone is drooling over, finding good new software can be a bit tough. This was the case when I was looking for a Twitter app for my HTC Touch. I tried many of them, settling on the mobile browser based Slandr for a while. Finally I came across what I think is the best Twitter app out there for Windows Mobile devices: Twikini.

twikiniIt may not be as flashy as some of the iPhone apps out there, but what it lacks in flash and whacky animations, it more than makes up for in functionality (imagine that!).

Some of the things I like about Twikini are:

  • It is fast, even on the HTC Touch with its stupidly slow CPU and paltry amount of RAM
  • The interface just works. If you’re used to browsing and checking notes and email on your Windows Mobile device, then you’ll know exactly how Twikini works.
  • It supports most of the features you’ll need in Twitter: Twitpic posting (also, Twitpic thumbnails are shown right in the main timeline), URL shortening (from 3 different providers), @reply highlighting, location setting using GPS if supported
  • Full avatar support (and caching)
  • You can reply and retweet quickly by pushing left or right on  your device (yeah some Smart Phones have buttons – and they are useful!)
  • Multiple themes (although only two are any good, IMO)
  • Multiple account support
  • It just works. That’s more than can be said about other Windows Mobile Twitter apps I’ve tried.

If you want to see it in action, you can check out the video below. Or download it yourself for a free 2 week trial. After that, it costs just $4.95. It works on all Windows Mobile devices, from WM5 and up, touchscreen or not. Also, be sure to follow Twikini on Twitter!

YouTube Preview Image

Quickies

HCW Q: Crazy Flash Drive, Space Harrier, Classic Geek Movies, Weekly Game Releases

As usual, news is slow after E3. Plus, I am moving so I have been busy cleaning up the new apartment (the previous tenants had the habit of leaving their windows open year-round, and never using air conditioning. NOT a good idea in Hong Kong – the walls were covered in mold, and mites munching on the mold). Anyway, here are some quickies for today:

Kingston DataTraveler 200 USB Flash Drive

  • If your puny 8GB or even 16GB flash drive hasn’t met your needs lately, you might want to check out Kingston’s DataTraveler 200 series. With capacities up to 128GB, you won’t run out of portable data any time soon. It’s quite pricey though – it is only available as a custom order from their site, and costs $546 USD.

Space Harrier

  • This week’s Virtual Arcade release on Wii is Space Harrier Arcade Version. Yeah, the Sega Master System version was released not too long ago, but this being the original arcade version is the one to get. This one is 800 points compared to 500 points, so if you’re the frugal type, you might want to stick with the (reasonably faithful) SMS version instead. I was always more of an After Burner guy anyway. “Fire!”
  • If you’re like me, and played Space Harrier and After Burner in the arcades, you might also be interested to know that both Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal have been announced for Blu-Ray. They will be out on September 1, with the typical MSRP of $34.99.

Here are this week’s PC & Video Game releases for North America:

PC:
-[06/15]-
Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People Collector’s DVD – $34.99
Terminator Salvation
-[06/16]-
Ghostbusters The Video Game – $29.99
-[06/17]-
America’s Army 3
Dawn of Discovery
Rise of Flight: The First Great Air War
Sword of the Stars: Argos Naval Yard

XBOX 360:
-[06/16]-
Ghostbusters The Video Game – $59.99
Guitar Hero: Smash Hits – $59.99
-[06/17]-
Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers

Playstation 3:
-[06/16]-
Army of Two (Greatest Hits)
Battlefield: Bad Company (Greatest Hits)
Devil May Cry 4 (Greatest Hits)
Ghostbusters The Video Game – $59.99
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (Greatest Hits)
Guitar Hero: Smash Hits – $59.99
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Greatest Hits)
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Greatest Hits)

Wii:
-[06/15]-
Eduardo the Samurai Toaster
Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!
-[06/16]-
Big League Sports: Summer – $39.99
Diva Girls: Divas on Ice – $29.99
Ghostbusters The Video Game – $39.99
Guitar Hero: Smash Hits – $49.99
Lets Tap – $29.99
Vertigo – $19.99

DS:
-[06/16]-
Big League Sports: Summer – $19.99
Discovery Kids: Parrot Pals – $19.99
Diva Girls: Divas on Ice – $29.99
Emergency Room: Real Life Rescues – $29.99
Flower Sun and Rain – $29.99
Ghostbusters The Video Game – $29.99
Hurry Up Hedgehog!
Roogoo Attack

Consumer Electronics | Video Game Hardware

iPhone 3GS Graphics Specs Compared to PSP and DS (on paper)

With the announcement of the iPhone 3GS, and subsequent digging by AnandTech, we know that Apple’s claim of it being “over 2X faster” than the 3G is no joke. Apple is clearly entering into the realm of true portable gaming with the 3GS.

However, since it is so much faster, and is seen as competition to the PSP by Sony, how does it compare to the hardest of hardcore mobile gaming devices out there?

Well the iPhone 3GS is fast, but not that fast. According to AnandTech’s report, the 3GS is running a PowerVR SGX, most likely at 200 MHz. at that speed, it can push about 7 million triangles per second, and fill at rate of 250 million pixels per second.

Compare that to the PSP, which pushes 33 million triangles per second, with a fill rate of 664 million pixels per second. (source)

This is comparing the graphics processors themselves, and everything here is ‘paper specs’ but at least we are clear on the fact that while the iPhone is certainly an interesting platform for mobile games, it’s never going to be as desireable as the PSP for hardcore gamers. (I no longer feel stupid for saying that, with all all the events that have occured with the PSP lately).

It is certainly more powerful than the ARM9 powered DS, which does about 120,000 triangles per second (and is limited to 2048 triangles per frame, on both screens), with a fill rate of about 30 Million pixels per second. There are certainly some really great games on the DS, so graphics power isn’t everything.

PC Gaming | Video Games

E3 2009 Day 1 Wrapup

Well Day 1 at E3 2009 is coming to a close. Even though the floors don’t officially open tomorrow, Microsoft, EA, and Ubisoft had their big press conferences. Big splashes were made to be sure, so let’s take a look at what was announced:

Microsoft

Microsoft decided to completely skip bragging about numbers and attach rates in favour of actually showing 10 exclusive games that will be coming for the XBOX 360, as well as some new XBOX Live features and a potentially amazing new peripheral.

The peripheral was unveiled, but no release date (or even window) was given. There is not even a final retail name – they were still referring it as Project Natal. Basically, they intend to take the simplicity of what Nintendo did with the Wii Remote & Nunchuck, and make it even easier for non-gamers to get into. In other words – there is no controller at all.

Microsoft Project Natal

The trailer they showed (check it out below) ranged from extremely cheesy (the driving game looked kind of retarded) to actually pretty F’n cool (The XBOX Experience can now be controlled by waving your hands, much like they did in Minority Report). They actually had it up and running, and demoed a neat little game similar to a first-person Breakout where you control a silhouette of your avatar to punch and kick balls to the other end of the screen.

I see Natal as being even more of a gimmick than Wii (and Wii Sports). Unlike the Wii, which actually does have some actual real games that can be played on it, I don’t see how they are going to make a real game that gamers will want to play. It will probably be a fun whacky toy for “non-gamers” to play around with for a while, and get bored of, just like they did with the Wii. Or maybe, just maybe, this is the one step that was needed to make non-gamers actually stick with it for longer than a few hours. We’ll have to wait and see what the games and applications look like when it finally does come out. I was quite impressed with the resolution of it (it uses two cameras for 3D, and can do facial detection).

The other big news of the morning was when they actually brought Hideo Kojima on stage, to announce that the next Metal Gear Solid game will be on XBOX 360 (they didn’t actually specify whether it was exclusive or not, so assume fully that it will also be available on PS3). The game will feature the cybernetically enhanced version of Raiden (which is pronounced “rye-den” by the way) so gameplay should be somewhat different from MGS4. The game will be called Metal Gear Solid: Rising.

Bungie was there, and if you thought they would try using their talent to create the next big franchise, think again. Nope, they showed some “gameplay” footage of Halo 3: ODST (I put that in quotes because most of the demos they showed at the conference consisted of a lot of in-game cut scene watching) and briefly announced their next game: Halo: Reach. Literally no details of the game were given, other than it having a multiplayer mode (which you’ll be able to beta test if you buy ODST).

They showed some Final Fantasy XIII being played on the 360, and said that it will be released next spring.

Many exclusives got some trailers and brief gameplay demos, including some pretty decent surprises: Crackdown 2 (oh yes!), Left 4 Dead 2 (already?), Splinter Cell: Conviction (looks totally different from the screenshots they showed before. Sam Fischer is now a video game version of Jack Bauer), Forza 3 (which now has an in-car views, and cars are no longer glued to the road), Alan Wake (Alan can actually move, can you believe it?), Joy Ride (Microsoft’s Avatar game, looks completely annoying and retarded. After this conference, I truly hate how Avatars look). Modern Warfare 2 was played (it plays like, well, a COD game. With snowmobiles). One of the announcements that I was most happy to see was Epic’s XBLA game, Shadow Complex. A modern Metroid-Castlevania style that has a lot of platforming exploration and weapon finding. Awesome!

They made a few announcements regarding some non-gaming XBOX 360 features. You will be able to stream Last.fm music to your console soon, and it will be “free” for Gold members. I started getting excited when they talked about how Netflix was only available in the US (by the way, Netflix will soon be controlled only from the console), and that they have a solution for “people around the world” (direct quote right there): Sky streaming TV for UK. Huh? How does that affect “people around the world”? There was some good news though – XBOX Live Video Marketplace (renamed Zune Video) will be streaming 1080p video, and will be available in 18 countries (instead of the current 8). Will this include Hong Kong? I hope so. Finally, they showed the ability to goof around with Avatars while watching streaming video. Yee-fucking-haw. God I hate Microsoft Avatars.

Finally, these additions to XBOX Live will be considered either really fricken cool, or lame, depending on which side of the Social Networking fence you sit on (and whether you’re a social luddite or not). Both Twitter and Facebook will now be fully accessible from the XBOX 360. You will be able to do new things like challenge people on Facebook, etc.

Other announcements were made after the press conference, including Games on Demand, a service that allows you to purchase and download full retail XBOX 360 games over XBOX Live. They are also enhancing those goddamn Avatars, with the ability to win clothing and items as achievement rewards, and even purchase (yes, with money) clothing and gear.

Here’s the Project Natal video, so you can get an idea of how it works:

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Viddler video.

EA

EA pretty much stuck to the games we already knew about, unless you are really interested in Littles Pet Shop Online and Charm Girls Club: Pajama Party. Even their big announcement – Crysis 2 – was revealed earlier. Crysis 2 will be available XBOX 360, Playstation 3, and PC. Can you guess which platform it will look best on? All Points Bulletin (an MMO verison of Crackdown) is now an EA game (it is made by the makers of the original Crackdown, which makes me wonder how good Crackdown 2 will actually be). They also announced EA Sports MMA, which I imagine will include many of the non-UFC fighters that are currently signed on with promotions such as Strike Force, Dream, and Affliction. If you’re just a UFC fan,  you are missing out on a lot of great fighters, including Fedor Emelianenko, who is considered by many to be the top fighter in the world. If they have the Fight Night guys working on this, it could be even better than UFC 2009. Fight Night 4 is a great game, but it’s being held back by the fact that it is still just boxing.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft also stuck to showing off the games we already knew about, and more annoying casual kids games. Assassin’s Creed 2 is their big one of course, and will be out on November 17. They announced that Red Steel 2 will include the required MotionPlus addon, so we won’t have to wonder if non MotionPlus owners will be interested in another crappy swordfighting game. Did you ever read those Belgian TinTin comics? I know I did.. And a TinTin movie is coming out, co-directed by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson! Oh yeah, Ubisoft is publishing the licensed game. Get this – Ubisoft is making a fitness game that uses a camera to see your body movements, and will require no peripherals. Sounds like the first 3rd party Project Natal game, right? Wrong, it’s for the Wii, and you have to buy another fucking camera if you want to play it. Sometimes I just don’t understand video game publishers. Finally, they announced Project Eden, made by the guy who created the awesome Rez. Absolutely no details were given, but you just know it’s going to be cool as hell. The old-school styled TMNT: Smash Up looked pretty cool as well.

In the end, it was a pretty interesting Day 1 for E3 2009. At least Microsoft made some cool announcements including both rumor-confirmations and complete surprises. There were still no “OH MY GOD!” shocking announcements though, but we still have Nintendo tomorrow, who definitely have the ability to make such an announcement.

Quickies

HCW Q: PSP Go Leaked, EGM is coming back!

Twas the weekend before E3, and all was quiet. A lot of big news was coming.. Oh wait! Some leaked images are starting to show up!

Sony PSP GoUpdate: Check out the official PR pics at EuroGamer.

  • Yup, only a few days before the thing was to be announced, leaked pictures of the PSP Go have arrived. It actually looks really close to the mockup that 1Up.com made. That is to say, it looks really F’n ugly, and even more difficult to hold than the previous models. The location of the analog stick is what I really don’t understand… As far as specs go, expect it to have 16GB of memory, a Pro Duo slot, and integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Remember – the go has no UMD drive. We’ll have to wait and see if Sony can possibly come up with a way for current PSP owners to want to upgrade to this without having to buy both their games again. Yeah that’s right, there are two good PSP games now.
  • In the “What The F&CK?” news of the week, Electronic Gaming Monthly will be returning this year. Yup, that’s right. While nearly everyone is closing down their magazines due to lower and lower sales figures, and the inherent disadvantage of requiring months of publication time, EGM will be back in some form. And guess who bought it? The guy who founded the magazine in the first place! I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens when it finally launches later this year. My guess is that he’ll come to his senses and just use the name to launch a big gaming site.

Oh look, here’s the PSP Go feature from the upcoming Qore magazine:

YouTube Preview Image

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