Tomorrow, labor day, marks another milestone in my life, the third installment of the movie of the super hero loved all my life is finally showing.We bought already tickets.I love here in the Philippines, we beat the United States 3 days in showing this flick
Glen has sent me a copy of the latest no$gba emulator the other week. He said that the latest version of the GBA emulator now features emulation for Nintendo DS ROMS and homebrews.
Here you could see Rocky trying out the New Super Mario Bros. game.
I have a Pentium 4 2.4ghz PC with 1GB of memory and still the CPU usage is maxed out to 100%. Overall, the opening sequence of Super Mario Bros. has glitchy 3D graphics while the gameplay speed is tolerable on my system. Glen reported that his Pentium 3 1ghz PC, the most mutated and stongest p3 PC you could ever see, can barely run the game.
After the brief test, we've deleted the Super Mario game and we won't tell you were we got it :P But instead, you may download homebrew games on pdroms.de
Ten years ago 3D Realms announced the launch of the game Duke Nukem Forever supposed to be scheduled on 1998. It was also announced on E3 1998 but sadly, Duke Nukem Forever never saw the light. ..then in 1999 3D Realms backtracked, announcing that it would be upgrading to the newer version of Unreal Engine, and released a Christmas card suggesting that Duke Nukem Forever was now set for the year 2000.
Almost a year later publisher Gathering of Developers announced that it would be taking over publishing duties for Forever, and 3D Realms released another Christmas card suggesting it would finally release in 2001.
At E3 2001 a second Duke Nukem Forever trailer was released, revealing a few minutes of new gameplay footage including impressive game features such as destructible environments, advanced AI, weather effects and massive draw distance. The trailer, amazingly, still looks quite good today.
But it was never to see the light of day. Gathering of Developers closed down in August 2001, Take Two took over publishing duties and Duke Nukem Forever was once again thrown into limbo.
In 2002, 3D Realms went back to the drawing board, hiring an army of new programmers and scrapping over 95% of the previous level design work in the process. The new engine was built using parts of Unreal Engine 2, with everything else written from scratch by the Nukem developer.
In early 2003 Take Two CEO Jeffrey Lapin stated that Duke Nukem Forever would not be released that year. Duke creator George Broussard responded by telling Shacknews that "Take Two needs to STFU imo". Later that year Jeffrey Lapin said that 3D Realms told him DNF was now expected late 2004 or early 2005.
After denying claims that DNF was now running on the Doom 3 engine, in 2006 Broussard gave an update on the games development stating that the team was finally tweaking and polishing the game.
In June 2006, a filing revealed that Take Two was offering a $500,000 bonus if 3D Realms released Duke Nukem Forever by December 31, 2006. Broussard denied the rumors, saying that he would "never ship a game early...for 500K."
Earlier this year a brand new in-game screenshot emerged alongside a 3D Realms job ad... and we're still waiting for more solid updates on DNF's development.
Will Duke Nukem Forever finally be released this year or will it remain in development forever?
Anyway, since Maria Ozawa is half Japanese and half Canadian, I immediately thought of my friend Minnie since she's half of something :D If girls rule the casual gaming scene, then Minnie's one of them examples.
1. Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you? Where are you located and what are you currently engaged in?
Im 22 years old, 75% Chinese – 25% Filipino, live in Quezon City, studied at AMA University. I'm currently working in a company located at Caloocan City as an IT Staff.
2. When was the first time you actually played a video game? What's the name of the game and game system? What or who made you play?
When I was I ten years old I guess. Nintendo... Mario. My Dad.
3. Did playing a video game made any difference in your life?
Haha. No.. :)
4. Do you own a video game console? If yes, what system? Was it your very fist console? What video game platform do you prefer? (PC, Consoles or Handheld)
NO, my little brother owns it. I prefer handheld ones.
5. What is your favorite video game? Why?
Mario! It’s a classic one! Hahaha.
6. How about a particular video game character, who's your favorite? Why?
Mario and Luigi. Handsome brothers. :P
7. If you were to convince a friend or co-worker to play video games, how would you do it? Would you do crazy stuffs just to convince him or her?
I’ll just stare at him or her and give my killer smile… hehehe. Papayag na yun.
8. Do you play online games? What are your current and alltime favorites?
NOPE.
9. Do you have any personal video game related story that you can share with us?
NOPE AGAIN. :D
10. Have you ever bought (or played) a pirated/bootleg copy of a video game?
HMMM…. Baka trap to ah. Mahuli pa ako. WAHEHEHE.
11. Any last message you wish to impart to our readers?
GOD BLESS YOU…J
Want to be featured on GameOPS? Email us at ask-g (AT) gameops (DOT) net
Less than a month after our re-launch, GameOPS proves again that we are the ultimate Filipino site for video games by being number 14 on the Pinoy Top Blogs ranking. GameOPS even surpassed my PR4 blog in the blog rankings! To all our readers thank you very much! *cries* :~)
ABS-CBN Multimedia is set to release their latest online game called War Rock. Gameplay is similar to Counter Strike and Battle Field 1942. ABS-CBN is now accepting players for the War Rock closed beta test, read more:
Sound off, recruits! The newest and first online tactical first person shooter in the Philippines is looking for able and skilled men to fight it out in War Rock!
WarRock takes the multiplayer FPS genre to the next level with stunning graphics, action packed game play and endless fun for everyone.
Especially since there's a wide array of vehicles for both air and naval combat that is sure to spice things up.
We will also be coming up with regular tournaments wherein the most skilled players get to win real prizes.
Sign up as closed beta tester now and get exclusive access to the game. CBT is set to start on May 2007. So log on and register now at www.warrock.ph
Before downgrading, make sure you meet the following requirements: - Your PSP is not a TA-082 (If you do have this PSP version, it may result in a brick). - Your PSP hs been upgraded at least once
PLEASE NOTE I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IF THIS CAUSES YOUR PSP TO BRICK
1) Copy the folders downhelper and downhelper% from the folder 1.50 HELPER folder to /PSP/GAME/ in your memstick. 2) Obtain the 1.50 update and put it in /PSP/GAME/UPDATE in your memstick. Get it here ( http://www.psp-hacks.com/file/8 ) 3) Init the downhelper program. 4) It will dump your flash and some files from the updater eboot to the memstick. 5) After that, the program will exit. You can now delete the updater from /PSP/GAME/UPDATE 6) You'll notice that you have a new folder in the root of your memstick called "DOWNDATER". 7) That's the folder you'll have to send to a 2.50/2.60 to let him test the downgrade.
1) Copy the folder the DOWNGRADER/2.50/DOWNDATERTEST if you have 2.50 or DOWNGRADER/2.60/DOWNDATERTEST if you have 2.60 to /PSP/GAME/ in your memstick 2) Wait for someone with 1.50 to pass you a folder called DOWNDATER and copy it to the root of your memstick. 3) Init GTA and the eLoader (Search if you do not know how to install the eLoader) 4) In the eLoader menu, choose the downdater test. WARNING: the program won't output any display and any warnings, it will init the downgrader process inmediatelly. 5) You'll see that your memstick flashing. That means that your psp is being flashed from the memstick. 6) You won't see any type of output in the screen (this is for safety). When the memstick finishes of flashing, WAIT at least a minute, and then reinit your psp by holding the power button. 7) That's all. If all went right, you'll have 1.50. If it went less good, you'll still have 2.50/2.60. If all went wrong, you'll have a bricked psp(except in the case you have the modchip) Remember that you have accepted that risk. 8) If your PSP is showing up as v2.01, this is fine. Just use Wab Version Changer and change it to v1.50
To the people that could not afford a monthly subscription of WoW, Lady Luck has shine upon you. Blizzard is giving away a 10-day free trial plus free download of the full game. If you decided to continue as a premium member, you can upgrade your 10-day free trial account into a full subscription account. How's that? Follow the link for details
If the news "Maria Ozawa plays Guild Wars" is still a rumor, then the picture above definitely puts Maria Ozawa on the league of the hottest girl gamers around. I wonder what games she plays on that lucky Nintendo DS of hers. Nintendogs? Brain Age? Mario?
Maria Ozawa is half-Japanese and half-French-Canadian.
She started modeling as Miyabi for the site shirouto-teien.com in June 2005, which resulted in several sets of photographs and two hardcore gonzo videos. She was then signed by the S1, an AV company that produces light hardcore pornography, premiering for them on October 7, 2005 with the video New Face. S1 had subsequently released one original video per month until February 2007.
She has also been featured in several S1 compilation videos including the company’s entry in 2006 AV Open, a competition between Japanese pornographic studios that aims deciding which studio can produce the highest selling video. The video that featured Maria Ozawa, among other AV idols Sora Aoi, Yua Aida, Yuma Asami, and Rin Aoki won the first place.
Maria Ozawa and S1 parted ways in early 2007. Along with Rin Suzuka and Rin Aoki, she moved from the safe, but popular S1 to a new startup company, Dasdas (DAS). On April 25, 2007, Dasdas released the first videos of the company, among which is a video of Maria Ozawa. This video contains scenes of rape, creampie, and physical torture, themes not featured in the light hardcore style of her S1 videos.
Besides, she has done a V-Cinema film, a photobook, and several glamour ("gravure") videos. [more]
Experience the power of three as Granado Espada launches pre-Open Beta Testing on May 17,2007. The Pre-OBT client (version 2) will be available for download starting May 1. check the official website for registration and details
Spiderman 3 will be shown in the Philippines on the 1st of May 2007 and technically, we would be ahead 4 days from the official USA release. I've stumbled upon a review of the movie with a lot of spoilers. If you dare, scroll down and read the full review.
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THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING, SPOILER ALERT BELOW!
Hi Harry, big fan of AICN, so you’re the only one I’m going to share this with. If you want to post it you can, but I have to stress with you that I CAN NOT under any circumstances tell you how I saw this movie but let me tell you, it was almost as bad as going through airport security, I will say one thing. I was able to catch the movie in Japan, where it is currently being prepped for its premier on the 16th, cant say anymore and if that hurts my credibility then it is unfortunately a risk I have to take. Just read what I have to say, and when the movie rolls around, you will see that I was indeed telling you the truth, and that I wrote the first review of a little film a lot of people are excited about called SPIDER-MAN 3.
So I can’t say that I have ever really written a full review before, so I’m going to try and just type whatever comes into my head. By the way, I’m an avid Spider-man fan and the 2nd film is among my favorites, so keep that in mind while reading.
A BRIEF RUNDOWN: Main titles begin, same flipping marvel logo, same brilliant Elfman theme (this time composed by Chris Young, but more on that later). No Alex Ross paintings, but there is some great CGI which focuses a lot on black webs, which is a hint at things to come, the composition of the titles is similar to that of the first movie, as opposed to the second. So at this point the film has just begun and already I feel like I’m visiting an old and treasured friend for the first time in 3 years. I can’t really describe how ecstatic I was at this point. The first shot of the movie is footage from spider-man’s final swing in Spider-Man 2, at least I’m pretty sure it was, we here a voice over from Peter, more of the same, but this time he notes how things are finally going his way, and the camera zooms out and we see Peter and a group of kids watching the clip of Spidey swinging on a big screen suspended over the streets of New York. The first 20 minutes is basically that, just the viewer watching Peter, and its so odd to see things going right for him, it’s a good feeling, but thankfully it doesn’t last. We are introduced to Sandman early on, and ironically he’s the biggest surprise in the movie, he is being played off as the typical thug who kills in the movies promotion but he is very similar to Doc Ock actually, he’s a family man who I believe is a good man at heart, and he has a great scene with Cliff Robertson, his character teaches Peter that the past is the past, and if he really is going to be a hero, he has to be able to forgive someone who has done a wrong, and that revenge will do nothing but make things more painful.
We are also introduced to Harry’s sub plot as well and let me tell you; it’s great, and also focuses on revenge, this time on Peter (the movies main theme is revenge if you havent guessed). Wilem Dafoe returns for more hallucinogenic fun and Harry’s scenes were among my favourite in the new movie. I really don’t want to go into the actual plot because I don’t want to spoil anyone, but the second act is basically Peter’s fall and the third act is the redemption of both Peter and Harry. 2 major characters die at the end of this one, one good and slightly expected, and one that I didn’t expect to bite it at all, so it was an actual shock to see it happen, I think it might piss off some fans but now that I think about it, I dont know how it could have ended differently. It’s a long film, it’s 2 and a half hours give or take, so there’s no doubt that this film is very much more epic than the first 2. There are 7 major action scenes however they are all additions to the core plot, and like the second film they are all bonus as opposed to the main event:
1. Harry vs. Peter 2. Peter vs. giant crane (you will get it when you see the movie) 3. Peter vs Sandman 4. Peter vs Sandman in the subway. 5. Peter vs Harry rematch 6. Birth of venom (debatable as an action scene, more just kick ass) 7. A 4 way battle on a construction site which guarantees this film a special effects Oscar.
So what did I think? Here are some views on the different aspects of the film.
Symbiote: This was great because it arrives right in time to finish Peters ascent into arrogance, it’s very symbolic to show what Peter is turning into and it is an addition to the character as opposed to a 2 dimensional plot device, which is great because I had some fears that the whole black suit would be a tacked on subplot like the cure was in X-Men 3, and it’s not. This is a good time to point out that a lot of people have been saying that this film is overstuffed, but it really isn’t. It never loses its focus and deals with one plot thread at a time, and the long running time gives everything breathing room, and at the end when all the plot threads tie up, it’s a great feeling.
Brock: Topher Grace portrays the Brock from the ultimate universe in terms of personality, but his background is more along the lines of 616, so I guess it’s the best of both worlds, but Grace plays him wonderfully, and he is a great addition.
Gwen: Now this is perfect casting, every time Gwen is on screen its bliss (which isnt all that much unfortunately). Such an amazing character being handled with such grace. She has both purpose in Peter’s life and Spider-man’s life, so she is not tacked on in any way, however I must say she is underused, which is my only real complaint with the film. The unspoken hostility between her and M.J is so subtle but both actresses really pull it off well..which brings me too..
Mary Jane: This isn’t the M.J of the first film, and by the end of this film she’s lost a bit of her sweet touch that made her so lovable in the 2nd film, and it is Peter’s fault, but the last scene really ties up the Peter and M.J thread very nicely, and we know they will be happy. For the first half of the film, Dunst plays M.J the same way she did in 2, and it’s a beautiful performance. She goes through more shit in this one, her play gets a bad review and she is pretty much restricted to singing in a Jazz club, and Peter doesnt make things much better, and uses Gwen in a pretty assholish way against her. M.J does get captured in the end but it adds to the tension of the final battle so it's all good.
Peter: We saw him make the choice to honor that with great power comes great responsibility in the first film, and in the second film he learned that he didn’t have to face it alone, and the third film is very much about Peter learning to keep a balance of both worlds, and he realizes by the end that it is not enough to simply swing in tights each night and save someone, its about keeping those that he loves happy, as well as being a role model to a city that really does need him, it is a hard lesson but Peter learns it in the end, and Tobey plays him even better than in 2.
Venom: I’ll leave him a surprise but don’t worry, I don’t think anyone will be disappointed with this bit, big thanks to Raimi for including him, if there is a 4 its hard to say if venom will be the villain, he’s pretty much “dealt with”.
I already gave my thoughts on sandman so that leaves
Harry: His is the best plot line in the movie his arc is Shakespearian in nature and by the end of this film he really proves that he is not his father, and in the end he puts everything on the line to save his friends, you will love how it turns out, very emotional.
The score of the film by Chris Young is more of the same; he basically rehashes Elfman’s themes, and makes new themes for new characters. His new themes are good, and Sandman’s in particular is quite catchy and similar to Ocks, but they probably are not as good as if Elfman had done them, but the score doesn’t disappoint if you liked it the first 2 times around.
Raimi has proven himself a spider god thrice over now, and really I want this film to be the last one. It ends every major plot line and doesn’t leave much open, albeit it doesn’t really zip things shut either, but really this is a great ending. This is the most emotional, and epic entry in the series, and like its predecessors, it never loses sight that action is a bonus to the character drama, and not the main attraction, it really is amazing.
I loved this film and I think critics will too, and it will probably be the fan favorite as well, don’t worry guys; Raimi hasn’t let us down yet.
That’s right folks 3 is my favorite, the trilogy curse is broken at last and we finally have a complete vision of a comic book character, which was yet to be done until now.
My hat is off to the whole crew for giving us this gift of a trilogy.
Another review:
Hi there! This is Adam from moviesoon.com, one film fan news site in China. We love AICN a lot! And now, here's a world exclusive review for "Spider-man 3" from an inside man.
You know, according to the film importing policy in China, all the foreign films must be sent in to local distributing partners and the State Administration of Films for censorship a few weeks before releasing in China. Especially thanks to this honest guy working for local distributor of Sony Pictures, we got a chance to take a glimpse at one of the biggest blockbuster in this summer, even earlier than world premiere in Tokyo on April 16.
Keen and I've translated main ideas of the review into English in order to share something in that you guys may be interested. Anyway, if you don't like spoilers, please do ignore it.
"Spider-man 3" is no doubt another visual feast, even more brilliant than the second film. You know, more characters and scenes, more challenges. They make Sandman really incredible, which must be one of the most difficult parts in my thought. Hit as a man, flow as sand. The final two-vs.-two fight is absolutely huge. (We'll talk about it later.) You'll find it almost impossible to catch up with all the fantastic scenes.
I've no ideas whether you care about Gwen Stacy. However, she didn't seem to be a very important role in the film, even a little unnecessary. I think most of us won't go to "Spider-man 3"for love stories. Forget it. Remember J. Jonah Jameson? We don't like him very much as he seeks nothing but profits and carries a personal vendetta against Spider-Man. You'll LOVE him this time 'cause he is the guy making you laugh…with his severe wife.
Here's five major action scenes:
1, Spider-man vs. New Goblin
Yea, we have seen most of it in the 7-minute preview clips. But here's what happens next: Harry Osborn fell in a faint, and suffered from a short-term memory loss (temporarily forgot what happened between Peter Parker and his father). He and Peter became friends again.
2, Spider-man vs. Sandman
Sandman escaped from prison for saving his daughter from serious illness. The police chased and forced him into a laboratory where he turned into Sandman later. And he encountered Spider-man when trying to rob a cash truck. They fought for the first time in the truck. Sandman fled at last.
3, Black Spider-man vs. Sandman
The symbiote from outer space crashed down to earth with a meteoroid. It attached itself to Peter Parker as we saw in the trailers. The new black Spider-man was much more powerful than ever before. And he fought against Sandman in an underground tunnel as taking revenge for his uncle. Definitely, Spider-man was the winner, but Sandman was flushed away and survived fortunately.
4, Black Spider-man vs. New Goblin
The shadow of Harry's father still lingered on and reminded him to revenge, which restored his memory. He made mischief between Peter and his girl, and Peter was badly hurt. But it was not that easy to defeat Black Spider-man. New Goblin failed again, and half of his face got disfigured.
5, Spider-man + New Goblin vs. Venom + Sandman
Yea, that's the final fight. We know, Venom a.k.a. Eddie Brock was a journalist. He once made fake news and got exposed by Spider-man. Losing his job and his girl who fell in loved with Spider-man; he blamed Spider-Man for ruining his life. He went to a church to pray that God could help him with getting rid of Spider-man. At the same time, Peter was trying to tear his black costume at the top of the church bell-tower. Intense sonic was lethal to the symbiote that Peter got the creature separated from himself when the bell rang. Unfortunately, it got a new host soon - Eddie Brock. The merger became Venom.
Venom and Sandman then united. They kidnapped Spider-man's girlfriend, and beat Spider-man with absolute superiority. As Spider-man was dying, Harry got stung by conscience and turned to stand by Spider-man. Then the battle became two-vs.-two. At last, Spider-man [SPOILERS DELETED BY AICN -- I MEAN, COME ON, I AM PLANNING TO SEE IT IN A FEW WEEKS!]. It's a happy ending, sorts of.
"Spider-man 3" must be the best visual action blockbuster ever and outdo all its predecessors. It is really rare to see a better sequel these days, right?
"Spider-man 3" is going to hit big screens in China on May 2th.
That's all. Thanks a lot! Hope you like our news tips, guys! Pleaaaaaaase keep in touch!
"...would love to see Kutaragi join up with Nintendo" - Satoru Iwata.
This is what Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said in a recent press conference held by Nintendo. This developed after Ken Kutaragi recently announced his retirement from Sony as CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
This scenario is possible since Kutaragi has long relationships with Nintendo. He was the one who designed the SNES sound chip and lead the research on the SNES PlayStation CD Add-on. Via QJ.net
Remember the Muppet's Show Mahna-Mahna? I remembered having last song syndromes whenever I saw that certain episode when I was a kid. Now here's a WoW version, ROFLMAO! Here's the Muppet's Show version:
Many Catholics and non Catholics alike know who is Jeanne D'Arc (Joan of Arc to us english men). Level 5 will relive that historical campaign of the Maid of Orléans with a twist of fantasy. La Pucelle as the frenchmen called her during that time, participated on the 100 year war of France and England. Branded as a heretic and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, Twenty-five years too late, in 1456, she was declared both innocent and a martyr by the inquisition. It ruled that the original trial had been tainted by fraud, illegal procedures, and intimidation of both prosecutors and defendant. The "Maid of Orléans" was beatified in 1909 and canonized a saint on May 16, 1920.
Level 5's game Jeanne D'Arc that will be released on the Sony PSP on August 30,2007 (tentative date), a turn-based tactical RPG mixed with fantasy and history, Jeanne D'Arc is a promising title.
When Nintendo announced the final name of their next-generation console a year ago, I was one of the millions who said, "wtf?! wii?!". A year later, Nintendo proves to all that they are indeed the king of the video game world. After witnessing the self destruction of the PlayStation 3 and the unexplained XBOX 360's 3 red rings of death, Nintendo manages to even capture the hearts of non-gamers with their Wii and DS consoles.
Bloomberg also reported that Nintendo is currently developing 45(!) new Wii and 79(!!) DS titles. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata however said that details and specifics on the games would be revealed later this July. 45 games?! Wow that's a lot of games. I wonder if they would consider buying SEGA after Monolith Soft? :~)
Nintendo recently acquired 80% of Monolith Soft from Namco's 96% stake on the company. Monolith Soft is well known for their development of the Xenosaga franchise that Namco publishes. Current project of Monolith Soft for Nintendo is a game for the Wii called Disaster: Day of Crisis.
* Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (2002, PlayStation 2) * Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (2003, GameCube) * Xenosaga: Episode I: Reloaded (2003, PlayStation 2) * Xenosaga Freaks (2004, PlayStation 2) * Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse (2004, PlayStation 2) * Xenosaga: Pied Piper (2004, Mobile) * Namco x Capcom (2005, PlayStation 2) * Baten Kaitos Origins (2006, GameCube) * Xenosaga: Episode I & II (2006 Nintendo DS) * Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra (2006, PlayStation 2) * Disaster: Day of Crisis (In Development) (TBA, Wii) SOURCE
You can now relieve your Super Mario Kart days in your own living room with the Super Mario Kart RC toy from ThinkGeek.
Are you as big of a Mario Kart fan as we are? Have you kept your Nintendo 64 around for the sole purpose of beating your brother in "Battle Mode" yet again? Yes? Then you'll turn all gooshy when you see Mario come to life speeding down your hallway shouting "lets-a-go!". Yep, this R/C Mario Kart Racer is over 12" long and features various sound effects from the game.
Steer Mario around your home or office with the included Nintendo GameCube style controller. Set-up some banana peels and turtle shells in your living room (not included) for true video game realism. Just watch out when you hit the turbo button right into a banana peel and Mario careens into your cat.
Product Features * Large Size R/C Mario Kart Racer * Nintendo GameCube Style Remote Control * Five function control : Right, Left, Forward, Reverse and Turbo * Digitized Sounds from the Game * 12" Long * Requires 1 9V Battery and 8 AA Batteries (not included)
TRIVIA: Super Mario Kart first appeared on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System / Super Famicom and not on the Family Computer ;)
It has been a trend recently that most of the successful titles in the console market are being ported to the handheld platform. Nintendo and Sony are making their fans drool in excitement as some successful titles to whom most console gamers fell in love with. An example is Final Fantasy Tactics, a 10 year old game that was originally released on the Playstation last December 31, 1997 by Squaresoft (now Square-Enix) now being released on the PSP with multiplayer capabilities. Nintendo DS fans have their share of portable goodness, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings is an "expansion" of Final Fantasy XII that was released by Square-Enix on the Playstation 2 console. Action hungry gamers need not fret. God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP promises a bloodfest jus like its console counterpart. As for the thrill seekers, Silent Hill Origins for the PSP will haunt your cold summer nights.
Buying a Nintendo DS and a Sony PSP is worth it if you see this lineup.
Philippine Star recently published an article why Sony has not released the PlayStation Portable / PSP officially in the Philippines. Sony Philippines blames the rampant piracy of the PlayStation games and their memory cards in the Philippines that Sony Japan decided not to officially release the PSP here. The PSP is currently available through import stores and the gray market.
Sony urged to state real reason for not bringing Playstation PSP to RP By Marianne V. Go Publication Date: [Monday, March 19, 2007]
Intellectual Property Office Philippines Director-General Adrian Cristobal Jr. criticized yesterday Sony Philippines for making it appear that Sony’s decision not to bring in its popular Playstation PSP to the Philippines is due to rampant piracy.
In an interview with The STAR, Cristobal felt offended at Sony’s insinuation that continued rampant piracy is behind its decision not to bring in its PSP product to the Philippines.
Cristobal pointed out that even though China is known to be more at the forefront of intellectual property rights piracy, Sony still chose to sell its PSP units there because of the huge Chinese consumer market.
Thus, Cristobal argued, Sony’s hesitancy to directly sell its PSP here in the Philippines is due more to lack of market rather than IPR piracy.
Sony Philippines president Hiroaki Kobayashi had previously told The STAR that the continued rampant piracy of its Playstation software is one reason why Sony Japan is hesitant to sell its PSP units in the Philippines.
Kobayashi said that almost all available Playstation software being sold in the Philippines are pirated copies.
Aside from its Playstation software, Kobayashi said, its memory stick for its digital cameras and video cams are also being pirated.
Sony, Cristobal further revealed, has not actually been coordinating closely with IP Philippines in helping crack down on its IPR violators.
Sony, like most other private IPR holders, Cristobal said, privately pursue their own enforcement and prosecution and coordinate more closely with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police.
However, Cristobal appealed to Sony and other recent vocal complainants such as Philip Morris and Levi’s International to coordinate with IP Philippines.
Cristobal noted that the complaints of Sony, Philip Morris and Levi’s appear to be part of a lobby to have the Philippines retained in the United States Trade Representative (USTR) watchlist as the Philippines is currently undergoing its annual review.
The USTR review, Cristobal said, started in February and a report is expected by next month. Cristobal is hoping that the Philippines would be able to "graduate" out of the list, but would not be surprised at the country’s continued retention on the watchlist.
What's funny about what Cristobal said is that Sony should coordinate with them to help stop the piracy of their PlayStation software. Coordinate? Sony doesn't need to coordinate with them, piracy of PlayStation games are so rampant that you could even see them on the streets:
Sony Philippines should reconsider their strategy. Not all Filipinos support piracy, one good example is the guys over at Pinoy-N.com that support Nintendo's original games even though their prices are 10x more expensive.
Aya Brea, the lead character of Parasite Eve, is definitely one of the hottest female video game characters of our generation. And so is this girl doing a cosplay of Parasite Eve:
Move over EyeToy, the next generation of camera peripheral for the PlayStation 3 has been announced.
Key features of the PLAYSTATION Eye include:
* A sophisticated microphone with the ability to reduce background noise and focus on spoken word for smoother, more accurate speech recognition * Engineered to perform in low-light conditions * Faster frame rate for improved tracking, responsiveness and smoothness * Two position zoom lens for close-up and full body options * Free EyeCreate(TM) editing software, which allows users to save, edit and add cool visual effects to photos, video and audio clips * EyeCreate also enables user to capture videos and audio clips directly to your PS3's hard disk drive and access a range of different capturing modes, including slow motion and time-lapse.
Sony has just announced that the father of the PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi, will soon be retiring as CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Read the official press release:
PRESS RELEASE
SCEI and Sony announce Executive Management Transition at Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
TOKYO, JAPAN, April 26, 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) and Sony Corporation (Sony) have jointly announced today that Ken Kutaragi, Representative Director, Chairman and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., will retire from his executive position at SCEI effective June 19, 2007, when SCEI’s annual shareholders’ meeting will take place. Mr. Kutaragi will pass on the torch to the next generation, stepping back from his executive management responsibility of the company to serve as Honorary Chairman of SCEI.
With his deep and instinctive insight into future technology, Mr. Kutaragi will also continue to support Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO, Sony Corporation, as senior technology advisor.
Concurrently, Kazuo Hirai, currently President and Group COO, SCEI, will be promoted to President and Group CEO, continuing his responsibility as the leader of the PlayStation® business worldwide.
Mr. Kutaragi, well known as the “Father of PlayStation”, invented and launched the original PlayStation in 1994 and its successor, PlayStation 2, in 2000. Since the introduction of PlayStation and subsequently PlayStation 2, these platforms opened up a vast market of computer entertainment. The two platforms combined now have an installed base of more than 200 million units in homes around the world, with more than 2 billion units of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 software titles shipped worldwide. The third generation of the company’s home computer entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3, launched in November 2006 in Japan and North America and in March 2007 in Europe, will continue to revolutionize the computer entertainment experience with its immense computational power connected to the network.
After completing the launch of PLAYSTATION 3 worldwide, Mr. Kutaragi has decided to pursue his dreams beyond PlayStation and to accelerate his network vision.
“I am happy to graduate from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. after introducing four platforms to the PlayStation family,” said Ken Kutaragi, Chairman and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “It has been an exciting experience to change the world of computer entertainment by marrying cutting edge technologies with creative minds from all over the world. I’m looking forward to building on this vision in my next endeavors.”
“Ken Kutaragi is a rare combination of a powerful visionary and entrepreneur in one figure,” said Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO, Sony Corporation. “Not only has he created a multi-billion dollar business for the Sony Group, he has brought the industry into a new dimension. Sony has benefited tremendously from his vision, his 2/2 creative genius, and from the very strong team he assembled and nurtured. As Ken moves forward to pursue new opportunities, we will encourage and support him. My support also goes to Kazuo Hirai, who is a terrific executive with a proven track record with PlayStation business in the US. I am confident that he will inspire and lead SCEI to new heights.”
MadCatz designers must be on drugs when they made this QWERTY attachment for the PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS controller. I rather type with the controller than to use my thumb to type text on top of the controller. Sheeesh! What were they thinking?!
Put the power of your console’s text messaging and web browsing capabilities in the palm of your hand with the Mad Catz Wireless ThumbPad™ for the PLAYSTATION 3. Ergonomically designed for comfort, it makes communicating online convenient and effective. Just clip it onto your SIXAXIS controller to easily text, chat, and browse the web though your console. The functional multi-key QWERTY interface permits access to all SIXAXIS controller buttons and the removable clamp means the pad is not restricted to use with gaming consoles. Ergonomics and versatility make the Mad Catz Wireless ThumbPad™ for the PS3 the ultimate solution for your online messaging requirements. Mad Catz promises innovative, quality products for all your gaming needs.
Product Features:
* Functional multi-key QWERTY interface * Enhances in-game messaging capabilities * Convenient clip-on design * Fully compatible with PS3’s web browsing functions * Plug and play technology * All PS3 controller buttons still accessible * Removable clamp increases versatility
This attachment is similar to the XBOX 360 QWERTY attachment.
I am not a fan of these online games but Glen insisted that I install Freestyle on my newly revived desktop. After downloading and updating the installer, the game won't start. My desktop computer has Windows Vista installed and the first error I encountered was a DLL permission error. This error is normal since Microsoft has decided to embed a lot of stupid and time consuming "security" measures for their new OS. I ran the program again as an administrator thus eliminating the DLL permission error. The next error I got was with Hackshield. Something like, "problem in antihacking function detected..."
I've visited the Level Up! boards and Googled a view sites that lead me to HackShieldSucks.com. It seems that Hackshield is not fully compatible with Vista. Being persistent, I emailed Level Up! for assistance and attached a screenshot of the exact error I got with all the exact details. Here's the reply I got:
Agent : Isabella Tuazon Date Posted : 25/04/2007 10:38 am
Response Description : windows Vista Operating system is not yet compatible with all of LU Games. you may try if want but there's no assurance that it'll run smoothly
You can already see from the screenshot that the game won't even run. Haaay... techsupport... *whistles*
Mike spilled the beans... :~) Unknown to many, Maria Ozawa is rumored to be a video gamer, and plays Guild Wars. Since the secret is out, let me tell you guys our (Rocky and me) secret. We were supposed to feature Maria Ozawa on GameOPS on our re-launch date last 13th April 2007 but apparently, our email to her got lost in the computers of DMM.
Anyway, we're still trying to contact her in every possible way. Subscribe to our feed and get the latest news on your email!
Business 2.0 Magazine tells the inside story of how Nintendo outfoxed Sony and Microsoft and got itself back in the game.
(Business 2.0 Magazine) -- A year ago it looked like game over for Nintendo's storied console business. The Kyoto-based gamemaker--whose Nintendo Entertainment System ushered in the modern age of videogames--was bleeding market share to newer, more powerful systems from Sony and Microsoft.
Even as the videogame business grew into a $30 billion global industry, Nintendo saw its U.S. hardware sales shrink to almost half of what they had been nearly 20 years earlier.
Today, as anybody within shouting distance of a teenager knows, Nintendo is the comeback kid of the gaming world. Instead of joining Sony (Charts) and Microsoft (Charts, Fortune 500) in the arms race to pack their consoles with ever-higher-performance graphics chips (to better attract sophisticated gamers), Nintendo built the Wii--a cuddly, low-priced, motion-controlled machine that broke the market wide open by appealing to everyone from grade-schoolers to grandmas. Unorthodox? Maybe. Effective? You bet.
The Wii is a pop culture smash of such dimensions that Nintendo still can't make consoles fast enough. Even so, it's outselling Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360--at least since January. (The Xbox had blowout pre-Christmas sales.) And while its competitors lose money on every console they build, expecting to make it back selling high-margin games, the Wii was designed to sell for a profit from the get-go.
Hi guys, sorry for the lack of updates for the past few days. I was transferring files from my laptop to my desktop... yay! new peeseee!
Anyway, let me present our featured video gamer for this week --Michael, also known as bobokid from the BNCXE Forum.
1. Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you? Where are you located and what are you currently engaged in?
My name is Michael. I'm 28 years old. Working as a Failure Analysis Engineer in a semicon company in Cavite.
2. When was the first time you actually played a video game? What's the name of the game and game system? What or who made you play?
Can't remember the year but during the family computer days -- super mario, galaga, battle city. My friends encouraged me to try it, one of them owns a family computer.
3. Do you own a video game console? If yes, what system? Was it your very fist console? What video game platform do you prefer? (PC, Consoles or Handheld)
My one and only video game console is a 1st gen N-gage. We don't have money to buy consoles when I was a kid and I shifted interest to arcade gaming during my high school that is why I didn't buy a console then. I got my N-gage when I'm already earning my own money and I'm still using it now (more of a music player though).
4. What is your favorite video game? Why?
X-men Vs Street Fighter. I liked the play style. Eventhough I don't know any infinite combos, I was able to win a lot of games vs other guys. I was trained by the Philippines' representative to an international tournament of this game.
5. How about a particular video game character, who's your favorite? Why?
In arcade games, usually there are heavily used characters (like wolverine in X-men Vs Street Fighter) but I rather choose the characters that are rarely used in challenge modes. Good players already know the moves/combos of popular characters so they are easily countered. If you use a character like Dhalsim, you can do a lot of killer combos that an above average player might not even know about. Besides, you can get a lot of respect if are a good player of rarely used characters.
6. Do you play online games? What are your current and alltime favorites?
I rarely play online games. Just Starcraft on BattleNet but that was ages ago!
7. If you were to convince a friend or co-worker to play video games, how would you do it? Would you do crazy stuffs just to convince him or her?
I've tried convincing my friends to play DotA (Defense of the Ancients) by telling them how fun and challenging it is to play. Only few success stories. Never tried doing any crazy stuff.
8. Are you part of a clan or guild? If yes, can you give us some info about your guild?
I don't have a clan or guild but is having a regular set of guys to challenge in an arcade game counted? :)
9. Did playing a video game made any difference in your life? If yes, could you tell us?
I always say to my friends, whoever I am now it's all because of the family computer. During my high school days, I always wanted to become an engineer who can create video games. I took electronics engineering and really appreciated my programming lessons. One of my hobbies then is programming games. And now my work involves microprocessors! Good to know that I've worked on the processors used in X-box. I also got this 15 year old callous on my left middle finger because of the arcade joystick. Looks very ugly. I used this as a reason to quit but I really can' t :)
10. Do you have any personal video game related story that you can share with us?
I've receive a lot of threats (not death threats of course) because they can win a game with me. During those times, I just leave the arcade and have them play my character. I don't wanna go into a fight just because of one token.
11. Have you ever bought (or played) a pirated copy of a video game? Could you tell us about it?
I used to play a pirated version of Starcraft during college but when I got a job, I bought an original Starcraft (and Warcraft) Battle Chest. I go pirated only to try new games.
12. Any last message you wish to impart to our readers? Any greetings and link-love to your friends?
Enjoy playing but don't forget that you have a life outside the video game world.
Want to be featured on GameOPS? Email us at ask-g (AT) gameops (DOT) net with the subject heading "FEATURED GAMER (your name)"
Based on Paramount Pictures upcoming feature film, Transformers: The Game lets gamers choose to play as either Autobots or Decepticons and experience the unstoppable power and massive scale of their favorite robots in disguise as they choose to protect or destroy Earth. Players must master each character’s unique weapons, moves and instantaneous transformations that allow them to effortlessly switch between vehicle and robot mode, as they rampage fully destructible environments smashing everything they encounter and using all objects as weapons along with firepower to obliterate enemies. FEATURES
* Protect Or Destroy The Earth – As the TRANSFORMERS robot’s war comes to Earth, gamers make the choice to join the AUTOBOTS in protecting our planet or to join the DECEPTICONS in destroying it. With dual campaigns, the fate of the world is in players’ hands.
* MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE – Instantly change from a larger than life robot to a high-powered vehicle such as a sports car, fighter jet or helicopter. Seamless transformations leave enemies in the dust or enhance players’ combat strategy with a range of options in both vehicle and robot modes that take full advantage of the characters’ dual forms.
* The World Is Your Playground – Players crush, topple and wreck every object, including buildings and vehicles, in their path or use the objects as weapons. It is up to the gamer to decide how best to use their surrounding environment.
* Freedom of Choice – An unprecedented line-up lets gamers experience the massive scale, unique abilities and sheer strength of an army of characters from the TRANSFORMERS universe when they choose to play as OPTIMUS PRIME, MEGATRON, IRONHIDE, STARSCREAM, BUMBLEBEE and more.
* Variety of Combat – For head-to-head battles, fans engage in melee combat that reflects each TRANSFORMERS robot’s character, scale, weight and power along with melee weapons and special moves unique to each character. The game’s ranged combat offers a wide array of projective weapons designed to take out enemies from afar.
* PlayStation® Portable Features – The PSP version features 20 playable AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS, from both the live-action film and previous generations, that battle through an enhanced version of the film’s storyline. Players can customize their character by choosing more than 10 different weapon types in both single and adhoc multiplayer gameplay
After killing the 20GB version of the PlayStation 3, a Sony spokesman now says that the company is "considering" an 80GB version. Price drop of the 60GB version imminent? (Via Joystiq)
Bandai Visual already announced last month that the popular anime series Dragon Ball will have an online game called "Dragon Ball Online". The game is scheduled to be released in Japan on 2008. Storyline is set hundred years after the events of the anime series to give room to new characters and enemies.
Like the usual MMOG, players are free to roam the world and customize their characters, group with other players to form a faction and defeat powerful enemies, etc. P2P is also available.
But there's a new rumor goin' around the internet. According to the information gathered by QJ.net, there's job posting at the Japanese website GameJob that requires a C++ programmer that has experience on MMO games to work on the XBOX 360 version of the Dragon Ball Online. Rumors rumors... :~)
REDMOND, Wash. - March 27, 2007 - Microsoft Corp. today announced the upcoming availability of Xbox 360™ Elite, a new model of the video game and entertainment system that will include a 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller and Xbox LIVE® headset. Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games and thousands of songs, as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows and movies available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The new 120GB hard drive also will be sold as a stand-alone accessory to give current Xbox 360 owners greater choice and flexibility in their games and entertainment experience. Additional Xbox 360 Elite accessories, such as the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit and the Xbox 360 rechargeable battery, will be available separately. The Xbox 360 Elite and its accessories are expected to begin arriving in U.S. stores on April 29.
"Today's games and entertainment enthusiast has an insatiable appetite for digital high-definition content," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "Xbox 360 Elite's larger hard drive and premium accessories will allow our community to enjoy all that the next generation of entertainment has to offer."
Distinguished by its black finish and signature metallic detailing, Xbox 360 Elite will have an estimated retail price1 of $479.99 (U.S.)/479.99 euros/349.99 pounds, and will come packed with components and accessories for the ultimate high-definition entertainment experience.
· Xbox 360 Elite console. The console is equipped with a premium black finish and three powerful core processors capable of producing the best in HD entertainment (up to 1080p), 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, HDMI output and DVD playback with upscaling capabilities right out of the box.
· Xbox 360 120GB hard drive. The 120GB detachable hard drive allows gamers to save their games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, levels, demos and other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.3 The hard drive is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $179.99 (U.S.)/179.99 euros/119.99 pounds.
· Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (black). This award-winning, high-performance wireless controller, now in black, features the Xbox® Guide Button for quick, in-game access to friends and music. It has a range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of 30 hours on two AA batteries. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (U.S.)/44.99 euros/32.99 pounds.
· Xbox 360 headset (black). Now available in black, the headset lets gamers strategize or trade taunts while playing games and send voice messages to friends on Xbox LIVE.
· Xbox 360 HDMI cable. New to Xbox 360, HDMI allows consumers to get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, all from one cable.
· Xbox LIVE Silver Membership. With this, gamers can chat with friends online, collect achievements and gamerscores, send and receive voice and text messages, and access Xbox LIVE Marketplace content such as game demos, HD movies and TV, as well as the best in downloadable games from Xbox LIVE Arcade.
· One-month subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold. An Xbox LIVE Gold Membership provides a complete online entertainment experience. Those who subscribe to this premium service can engage in competitive online multiplayer matches, tailor their matchmaking via feedback and accomplishments, chat with more than one person at a time, and take advantage of unique privileges in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Xbox LIVE Arcade.
The following accessories for the Xbox 360 Elite console will only be sold separately:
· Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit. Complete with a charging cable and a black rechargeable battery pack, the Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit allows gamers to recharge their Xbox 360 Wireless Controller without interrupting their gameplay. it is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $19.99 (U.S.)/19.99 euros/14.99 pounds.
· Xbox 360 rechargeable battery (black). The rechargeable battery pack provides more than 25 hours of gameplay per charge. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $11.99 (U.S.)/11.99 euros/9.99 pounds.
Following the announcement of the Elite Xbox 360, here is the confirmed pre-loaded content for the new 120Gb HDD.
Trailers
* Forza 2 customization and damage videos * Halo Wars * Fable 2 * Halo 3 TV Ad * Halo 3 Trailer * Halo 3 et tu brute video * Accessories TV Spot * Wireless World Video * Holiday ’06 Accessories Video
Full Games
* Hexic HD
Playable demos
* Assault Heroes * Cloning Clyde * Geometry Wars * Marble Blast Ultra * Small Arms * Feeding Frenzy * Uno * Pac-Man * Street Fighter II * Lumines Live! * Zuma * Heavy Weapon * Lego Star Wars II * Lost Planet (multiplayer Live) * Madden ‘07 * Fusion Frenzy 2 * Call of Duty 3
So you can't get enough of your Wii that you wanted your PC to look like one. skyworxx of WiiLi.org has developed a launcher application for the PC called WiiFronted that looks like the Nintendo Wii interface.
you would want to SIMULATE the wii interface on your computer, because it looks cool, it is a cool way to organize your favorite games and applications, and you can impress people lol. annoying user experience? not hardly. some people use their sensor bars, and just aim their wiimote at the screen, and click. you would use the wiimote to navigate, because some people like the ability to control their computer from long distances..(i.e. lay on your bed and control applications, instead of walking the distance of the room to go control the mouse at your computer, or actually staying near the computer to control it) and also, a wii interface is a neat way of organizing which applications you like the most, and launching them easily, all with a simple press of a button.
let's say you didn't have a wii interface. ok...so im controlling my mouse, with my wiimote. let's also say you're not near the computer. you want to run mario kart 64. you would have to squint your eyes, go into your nintendo 64 emulator directory (or double click the n64 emulator shortcut on your desktop)...and then open the rom, by double clicking again, and THEN switching the glovepie script...by stopping the mouse glovepie script, closing glovepie, then re-opening glovepie, and loading the proper script (unless you have mario kart 64 controls built in to your mouse script).
you could defeat the purpose of the wii interface if you had shortcuts to launch all your favorite games/apps on your desktop. but IMO, thats not very organized.
the wii interface simplifies these steps, into maybe 1 or 2 button presses. it's convenient, sexy, and awesome.
Features: - fully customizable channels - includes sounds and cursor - launches all filetypes - 27 channels - channel-manager (create and edit channels with a few clicks) - support for 800*600,1024*768 1280*960 and real windowed mode - launches automatically glovepie-scripts - seperate opacity-setting for every channel - clock^^
After banning several keywords and websites, the Chinese government has again issued a new directive, this time, restricting online playtime.
Internet game operators have been ordered to install anti-addiction software on their games to help youngsters stay offline.
The government yesterday issued a regulation, which takes effect on April 15, demanding online operators set up a "game fatigue system" that encourages players under 18 to play less than 3 hours a day.
Online gamers will also be required to register using real names and identity card numbers to indicate if they are younger than 18.
Experts said the move reflects government fears over the social impact of popular online games, which have been blamed for the rising numbers of school children playing truant or even committing crimes.
Under the system, known as the "anti-online game addiction system", the first 3 hours of play for each day is considered "healthy", during which players will be awarded full points in the virtual world. The next 2 hours will yield only half the normal points and there will be no points after 5 hours.
After the 5-hour limit, players will be subjected every 15 minutes to the warning: "You have entered unhealthy game time, please go offline immediately to rest. If you do not, your health will be damaged and your points will be cut to zero."
All the online games run in China, including the Massive Multi-player Online Role Player Games (MMORPG) operated by NASDAQ-listed companies such as Shanda, NetEase and The9 and other games like those run by Tencent, will have to abide by the rule.
According to the regulators' timetable, online game operators will have up to four months to install the system; and games not embedded with the software by July 16 will be shut down.
Zhao Yurun, a spokesman for The9 that runs World of Warcraft in China, said yesterday the system will not have a great impact on the company since a majority of its players are adults.
Other companies, including Shanda and NetEase, also said the impact will be limited.
Last year, there were 31.12 million online game players in China. Of them, about 10 percent were below 18, said Kou Xiaowei, deputy director of the audio-visual and Internet publication department of the General Administration of Press and Publication, one of the eight government departments that released the regulation.
Although online game operators do not regard the system as a drain on revenue, experts said it was the real-name registration policy that may pose a real threat to game operators.
"The system requires every online player to register with their real identity. This will scare away many adult and young users," said Liu Bin, chief analyst at research house BDA China.
Official statistics show that the number of Internet users in China reached 123 million in mid-2006. About 15 percent - or 18 million - were under the age of 18.
Nintendo has finally released its full version of the Internet Channel by offering the Opera web browser on the Nintendo Wii. The browser will be free to download until June 30 and would cost 500 Wii points afterwards.
Search, surf and shop with family and friends, all from the comfort of your living room with the Internet Channel on Wii. Featuring a number of enhancements to improve the user experience as well as a host of added extras, the full version of the Internet Channel powered by Opera is now available for free download across North America.
If you have already downloaded your new Opera browser, check these hidden Wii controls compiled by Shogunx Regular Commands
A: Select/Click
Hold B: Free Scroll (much like pressing middle mouse click and moving the cursor in the way you want to scroll)
2 Button: Switch between Automatic or Manual zoom
(+) Key: Zoom in (if in manual zoom mode) (-) Key: Zoom out (if in manual zoom mode)
Directional pad up: Scroll page up
Directional pad down: Scroll page down
Directional pad left: Scroll page left
Directional pad right: Scroll page right
Hidden Commands
B + Directional pad up: Refresh current page
B + Directional pad down: Favorites/Bookmarks
B + Directional pad left: Search current page
B + Directional pad right: Enter new URL (similar to address bar in your common browser)
B + (-) key : Go Back a page (similar to back button on your browser)
B + (+) Key: Go forward one page (similar to Forward button on your browser)
When we were playing the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on the GameCube, we thought that Ilia was Zelda's opponent when it comes to Link's love... But Ilia just disappeared in the story.
But if fans were to re-write the story, the title of the game might end up The Legend of Ilia. :~) Members of Facepunch Studios have ripped the 3D models of the game and posted the files on their forum. Users with Photoshop or other 2D/3D softwares can easily modify the textures of the game, including Link and Ilia (pictured above). You can download the files here.
Well-known console modder Ben Heck has done it again. After modding several home consoles and turn them into handhelds, Ben has turned a PS3 SIXAXIS controller into an XBOX360. Great mod for PS3 players who're having some problems with their uncomfortable PS3 controllers.
Engineering students at the University of California Santa Clara apparently have too much time in their hands that they have re-created Donkey Kong on their building... using Post-It Notes. It took them about 5 hours to complete with 6,400 post-its and 10 people. (Via Mike)
Japanese gamers are currently enjoying a trip back to Silent Hill, courtesy of the brand new light gun shooter. Let's see if this machine makes it way to the Philippines. More info here.
While the Nintendo Wii might not get the graphically superior Resident Evil 5, Nintendo's console will get a Resident Evil 4 version and a new RE shooter called Umbrella Chronicles. And for Jill Valentine fans like me, seeing her Resident Evil 3 costume remake, it's heaven.
I had a crush on Jill since I first saw her on Resident Evil 1. Ummm... maybe on the live action actress :))
Her 3D rendered version in Resident Evil 3 sucked though. Anyway, here's a first look on the upcoming Umbrella Chronicles
If CAPCOM can create an RE1 remake, why not remake RE2, RE3, and Code Veronica? :~)
Let me introduce our very first weekly GameOPS featured gamer --Impbuster. I first met Impbuster on DOGZ's IRC seven years ago, and since then, he's been one of my close online friends. Whether we explore the worlds of Ragnarok Online, kill Jedis, or just roast the n00bs on the DOGZ forum, Impbuster is one of a kind.
1. Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you? Where are you located and what are you currently engaged in?
- I am Impbuster and I hate imps. I am in my cave, located somewhere in the Middle East.
2. Why the nick IMPBUSTER? Any meaning to it?
- It's like Ghostbusters, except I exterminate imps and drive them to insanity.
3. Do you really hate newbies or just the n00bs?
- The n00bs.
4. If you were to gauge your toleration to n00bs from 1-10 (10 being the highest), what's your score?
- 2.
5. How do you describe an imp? Are they similar to n00bs or they some kind of new internet species?
- They are about as dumb as a rock, and usually can't find their way out of a wet paperbag. Most scientist believed they originated from IRC. They are mostly seen now on Friendster and MySpace.
6. You rose to stardom by PWNNG n00bs from the yesteryears of DOGZ, do you miss those days?
- In a way, yes.
7. Any particular imp or n00b from DOGZ you miss? Why?
- Endoskeleton. You can keep kicking his ass and will come back for more.
8. When was the first time you actually played a video game? What's the name of the game and game system? What or who made you play?
- Late 80's. Contra from NES.
9. Did playing a video game made any difference in your life?
- I tend to steal cars (GTA), killing aliens (Contra), and jumping 10 feet high (Super Mario Brothers).
10. Do you own a video game console? If yes, what system? Was it your very fist console? What video game platform do you prefer? (PC, Consoles or Handheld)
- I currently own a PS2. My first system was an Atari. I prefer MMORPGs, FPS and puzzle games.
11. What is your favorite video game? Why?
- Contra: just pure asskicking without the 20-hour cutscenes and lame graphics (ie. FF7: Dirge of Cerberus, FFX).
12. How about a particular video game character, who's your favorite? Why?
- This black guy from GTA3. He gets to carjack cars and steal old people's wallet.
13. If you were to convince a friend or co-worker to play video games, how would you do it? Would you do crazy stuffs just to convince him or her?
- I'll eat their babies.
14. Do you play online games? What are your current and alltime favorites?
- Yes. My favorite is still Counter-Strike. My alltime favorite has always been Starcraft (and I still suck).
15. Have you ever met any imps on any of the local MMOG/MMORPG games? Can you tell us some story?
- Ragnarok Online. So many stories to tell, so little time. =(
16. Do you have any personal video game related story that you can share with us?
- The time I tried to teach jepoy to play Ragnarok Online. Or was that Olox...? Either way, it was hysterical.
17. Any unforgettable moment with n00bs on DOGZ? How about MMOG/MMORPG?
- Olox and his teacher's panty fetish.
18. You were there during the noypi.org forum conflict, any reflections on the site admin there? Violent comments?
- A website ran by a bunch of assmonkeys.
19. Remember wrencelot? Any thoughts on the guy?
- His blog sucks.
20. Do you have any role model?
- Ron Artest when he is crazy (ie. being arrested, the Knicks-Pacers brawl incident, etc...).
21. Any last message you wish to impart to our readers?
- I hate hippies. Old and dirty hippies.
22. Any last message (warnings accepted) to all the n00bs out there?
- I hope you all die with STDs.
Want to be featured on GameOPS? Email us at ask-g (AT) gameops (DOT) net with the subject heading "FEATURED GAMER (your name)"
A new version of the upcoming Transformers movie trailer is making its rounds on the internet. This version has more action scenes and best of all, you could see and hear Optimus Prime! Direct Link
Kuya Jepoy's initial plan to relaunch GameOPS with a big bang was to interview celebrities at ABS-CBN. The plan was not quite successful as planned... He forgot his pass, so we just stared at the guard and hoped that Sam Milby would pass by, but he never did. When we decided to go home, it started to rain. Ate Lalaine's car was parked at the other side of the ABS-CBN compound. So we were stuck. After our failed ABS-CBN mission, we went to The Block at SM North EDSA for dinner. Rocky and Siopao thought that some kind of spell was casted upon us so they decided to inquire about these Voodoo amulets....
Then afterwards, we found these toys at Toy Kingdom:
Asian Treasures Toys, you know, the series from GMA-7 that looks like an Indiana Jones slash Lara Croft rip-off.
Rounin Toys -- ABS-CBN's newest series that looks like a live action adaptation of an anime series. Rounin is set to be shown next week on ABS-CBN.
IP e-Games Dom1Nation, the hottest gaming event this summer, is still a few weeks away, but that doesn’t mean you need to wait long for intense fun and excitement!
This Monday, the country’s premier online gaming company will present a series of high-octane games and tournaments to serve as a sampler before the great e-Games celebration. IP e-Games presents Blazing to Dom1Nation, a sizzling appetizer for those waiting for the Dom1Nation experience!
The event will be held this Monday, April 16, 2007, at the massive Extreme Gaming Grounds (EGG) complex at SM Mall of Asia. Headlining the list of exciting events is RAN Online’s special Battle Royale edition, exclusive for participants present at EGG, while Audition Dance Battle will also hold an extra-special tournament for all Audistas. A special section will also be reserved for the 2007 MTV VJ Hunt, sponsored by Dreamville.
But that’s not all! We’ll be holding live performances from Acoustic band Suicidal Genius and slick dance group Exodus. In addition, more RAN Online and Audition competitions, raffle promos, and of course, non-stop free play will be available all day long!
The event blasts off at 11 in the morning. Full Schedule details are as follows:
Blazing to Dom1Nation events and schedules: 11:00am Registration / Freeplay 1:00pm Event Opening 1:15pm Band Performance (Suicidal Genius) 1:30pm Audition preliminaries / Ran Battle Royale tournament 4:30pm Audition Finals / Mob Attack competition (exclusive for RAN Guilds) 6:00pm Awarding of Prizes & Raffle Promos 6:30pm Event Conclusion 6:45pm Dance Group Performance (Exodus)
PinoyPC is throwing a LAN party on April 22, 2007 at The MOB and everyone is invited to join! Admission is absolutely FREE.
What is a LAN party?
A LAN party is where you and your friends can get together to play multiplayer computer games.
The PinoyPC LAN Party is a yearly party thrown to the members, listers and extended friends of PinoyPC (PPC) for an entire day of network and online gaming activities. Events such as these are opportune times for them to exchange ideas, trade gadgets, data and share similar interests. Events:
1) Quake 3 Tournament
Quake 3 Tournaments have been a long standing tradition during PinoyPC EBs.
Game Type: Tournament Mode Time Limit: 15 mins per round Frag Limit: none Maps: Q3Tourney and Pro Maps
Prize: Php5,000.00 CASH
2) Open Mic
If you or your friends have a band, why not join the open mic event? Everyone is welcome! Open mic will start at 3PM. To join, just email us with your band's name and genre.
3) Free Play
Throughout the day 92 computers will be available for free play and games tournament. The list of games available at The MOB include: Eve Online, Battlefield 2, Doomtown, Rakion, NBA 2006, MU Online, Need for Speed Most Wanted, CS: Condition Zero, DOTA Warcraft 3 FT mod, Gunbound Online, Flyff Online, Battle Position, Supreme Destiny Online, Guildwars, Silkroad Online, O2Jan, Khan Online, Lineage II, Pristonetale, RF Online, Rose Online, Gopets, World of Warcraft and Quake 3.
4) Mobius Games Event
Mobius games will also be sponsoring MU Online, Rakion and Gunbound tournaments. Details and mechanics for the games will be announced by Mobius during the event itself.
5) Raffle
Raffle prizes will be given away during the event c/o sponsors
For further questions and details, please visit PinoyPC's Teh Board. Or email Lory Desuasido at lory (AT) pinoypc (DOT) net
Subscribe to our feed to keep updated on the latest at GameOPS and be sure to watch out for the re-opening of our forums. We're also thinking of setting up our own podcast. They're all plans though. Half of our archive has also been reposted. I'm still looking for the other half :D We won't promise grammatically perfected reviews or news since we're not some kind of journalists-turned-gamers. But this we will assure you, we're true blooded video gamers so mostly our info will be at least 95% accurate :D
So, cheers to us and to our loyal readers. Let's all welcome GameOPS back, the Philippines' first website dedicated to video games!
All your friends playing DOTA? Don’t be left behind. Presenting Rocky's uber-beginner's guide to DOTA. Learn the basic lingo to the basic item setup to finally some trade secrets. "The Talk"
afk - away from keyboard
brb - be right back
bs - backstab/backstabber (most frequently used word after meeting Kardel Sharpeye)
buff - increase stats
lol - laugh out loud
noob - newbie/inexperienced beginner/bait = attracts heroes like flies. if ur reading this that's you :)
nvm - never mind
back - return to base
dmg - damage
ks - kill steal
ror - ring of regeneration
roh - ring of health
lvl 6 - hero's ultimate spell
bd - backdoor
push - concentrate attack on towers
hold - concentrate on defending towers
gang rape - teaming up to eliminate a hero
leech - standing at a safe distance away from direct combat but still gaining experience. usually done by ranged heroes.
pataba - going to a "no hero" part of the map and harvesting from creeps gold/exp
owning - term used when a team gets repeated kills. term used when a player kills repeatedly.
chicken - term used to players who noticeably returns to base often to regenerate hit points. This is in relation to the chicken item which is often used in buying items from NPC's instead of going back.
"The Walk"
Pick a hero which matches your gameplay. Do you prefer to go right into a fight? then choose a melee/strength type. Do you prefer to stay away from the riot but get your kicks in then choose ranged/agility/support or int types. Like I said choose whom best suits your gameplay.
Basic items:
Boots of speed (BOS) Boost movement speed.
Ring of Regeneration (ROR)Boost regeneration/hp recover rate. Preferably you can buy 2. (Remember a good DOTA player seldom returns to base.)
Null talismans (NT) for intelligence types
Wraith bands (WB) for agility types
Gauntlets of strength/Bracers (GOS) for strength types
Advance Item Combos
Hyperstone – 50% inc in attack speed (For ranged types. Use this with Bone Clinkz for a skeleton archer on steroids)
Cranium Basher – 10% chance to stun enemies. (Equip 2 to inc to 20% chance of stunning enemies. For melee types)
Manta Style - +int, agi, hp, and creates 2 illusions that get 300% damage. (Naga Siren, Chaos Knight, and Terrorblade have illusion abilities having this doubles their power by providing more illusions…all with critical strike.
Refresher Orb – Regen HP/MP. You will be able to use an ability that has cool downs…again (Imagine Rhasta with 2 sets of serpent wards)
Mekanism – Provides stat increase and gives additional protection to your team mates. (One of the best support items in the game)
Aegis of the immortal – Be revived thrice (Use this with King Leoric's ability for a maximum of….5 LIVES)
Divine Rapier/Aegis of the immortal – The Divine Rapier provides a solid +250damage but is a droppable item when your hero dies. Due to the AoI's effect you get 3 chances to deal +250 damage.
Next, A much in depth guide to the world of DOTA :)
WE'RE BACK!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOOO!! As part of our re-launch, we've hired two new staff and re-hired the origial GameOPS Gurl Gamer editor. Let me introduce to you Karlo, Siopao and Dian. Dian's technically not new to GameOPS, but since she was one of the senior editors of our other (now dead) site, GameOPS Gurl Gamer... let's consider her new again here shall we? :~)
(EDIT)Dian is currently holding me as a hostage and pointing an AK47 at my neck since I called her as a "new staff"... I retract my previous statement. She's not new... actually she's old and filthy... ok just kidding :D
1. Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you? Where are you located and what are you currently engaged in?
I'm Dian from Makati and I'm a 5th year college student taking up Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Arts... I'm into webdesigning, photography and fashion. (jepoys note: she's single...)
2. When was the first time you actually played a video game? What's the name of the game and game system? What or who made you play?
I think I was in grade 2 or 3 when my kuya introduced me to Doom. Since then, I became addicted to FPS games like wolfenstein, countersrike and quake.
3. Did playing a video game made any difference in your life?
Umm... i failed my subjects because of them.. LOL
4. Do you own a video game console? If yes, what system? Was it your very fist console? What video game platform do you prefer? (PC, Consoles or Handheld)
I only play PC games :D
5. What is your favorite video game? Why?
Counter Strike and Quake 3... I love fragging Jepoy while he's camping during our DOGZ days :P
6. How about a particular video game character, who's your favorite? Why?
The lead character of Doom... I like it when he makes face whenever he's hit or something
7. If you were to convince a friend or co-worker to play video games, how would you do it? Would you do crazy stuffs just to convince him or her?
Nope. Let them learn for themselves... LOL
8. Do you play online games? What are your current and alltime favorites?
Yup, but only when my friends play. CS and Quake 3
9. Do you have any personal video game related story that you can share with us?
I was like "maarte" before but when I started to play video games, my "kaartehan" lessened since most of the people I played with are guys. :P
10. You were one of the original GameOPS Gurl Gamer staff, did Jepoy threatened or did anything to you so you could be part of GameOPS again?
Not really, kinulit lang nya ako. He's my friend since the early days of DOGZ, so if he needs anything, i'll try my best to give it.
11. Any last message you wish to impart to our readers?
i need a date. ktnxbai. kidding :P
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1. Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you? Where are you located and what are you currently engaged in?
Hi I'm Andrew, but my friends call me Siopao, I'm 22 years old and I live in Siopao Heaven. I'm currently working as an instructor in AMA Computer University in which I also graduated. I'm into photography now and maniplutes photo during my free time.
2. When was the first time you actually played a video game? What's the name of the game and game system? What or who made you play?
I was in elementary and my friends taught me how to play Street Fighter II on our local arcade palaza.
3. Did playing a video game made any difference in your life?
It influenced me into what am I right now. Before playing video games I liked to draw comicstrips and planned to take fine arts in college. Since video games came into my life, I got addicted into playing and decided to be a game developer, hence my degree, BS in Computer Science.
4. Do you own a video game console? If yes, what system? Was it your very fist console? What video game platform do you prefer? (PC, Consoles or Handheld)
My very first game console was the SNES. Here, I honed my skills in Street Fighter II to fight my friends in arcade. I prefer desktop computers, for they stand the test of time in the gaming revolution. Then again, I loved handheld games due to the fact of "play anywhere" convenience.
5. What is your favorite video game? Why?
Final Fantasy Tactics. This game opened to me the world of role playing games (RPG) and the Final Fantasy universe, this is still the only game I played the most. Imagine 320 hours of gameplay.
6. How about a particular video game character, who's your favorite? Why?
Sephiroth. A one bad-ass character that is worshipped by geeks all over the world.
7. If you were to convince a friend or co-worker to play video games, how would you do it? Would you do crazy stuffs just to convince him or her?
Just let them taste the fun of playing that game. I successfully influenced my co-faculty into playing DotA
8. Do you play online games? What are your current and alltime favorites?
I was a Ragnarok Online addict before, now I play Guild Wars and AuditionPH and I'm waiting for the open beta of Granado Espada
9. Do you have any personal video game related story that you can share with us?
I met this girl in Ragnarok Online named and became my real life buddy.
10. Have you ever bought (or played) a pirated/bootleg copy of a video game?
It all started when I was playing Gameboy, I was aware that I'm buying pirated games. but hey, I'm not a rich kid, I used my own milk money to buy those games, I was in elementary that time BTW.
11. Any last message you wish to impart to our readers?
Playing is cool, but know your priorities before you play. you play the game, don't let the game play you.
Education > Entertainment
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1. Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you? Where are you located and what are you currently engaged in?
Im Karlo, 23 years old and currently working at AMA University as a part-time instructor for CISCO, I always do believe in KARMA HAHAH! currently engaged in war with corporate politics!
2. When was the first time you actually played a video game? What's the name of the game and game system? What or who made you play?
I was in nursery and I was playing an atari. Ping pong and pitfall, my uncle has one, it was so memorable :X
3. Did playing a video game made any difference in your life?
yez
4. Do you own a video game console? If yes, what system? Was it your very fist console? What video game platform do you prefer? (PC, Consoles or Handheld)
yez, currently ps2, my first game console was a family computer, hmmm i prefer pc
5. What is your favorite video game? Why?
Mario 3, one word.... CLASSIC!!! :D
6. How about a particular video game character, who's your favorite? Why?
SONIC!!!! one word.... COOOOOOOL!!! :D
7. If you were to convince a friend or co-worker to play video games, how would you do it? Would you do crazy stuffs just to convince him or her?
if its a girl il convince her by dancing infront of her naked HAHAHAHA! if its a guy, just show gore stufffs!! hahahah!
8. Do you play online games? What are your current and alltime favorites?
currently im adicted in DOTA, before i played Guild Wars, Ragnarok
9. Do you have any personal video game related story that you can share with us?
My first family computer was spilled over with coke, hahaha!
10. Have you ever bought (or played) a pirated/bootleg copy of a video game?
pirated copy of video game? hmmm honestly yes, beacuse here in the Philippines, the distribution/release of new games here is to slow
11. Any last message you wish to impart to our readers?
Im cute! :P
Want to be part of GameOPS? Then email us at contribute (AT) gameops (DOT) net
GW gamers,including me, gasped as the news for the upcoming expansion and sequel was revealed by ArenaNet.
Guild Wars players will soon be able to embark on a journey that will take their existing characters into the treacherous reaches north of the Shiverpeak Mountains. There, they must stand side-by-side with both friends and enemies from the past, recruit new allies and heroes, and delve deep into perilous dungeons to face an ancient evil. The fate of the world hangs in the balance. One thing is certain; at the end of this battle, nothing will remain the same.
Guild Wars: Eye of the North Features
-Tons of new content designed exclusively for your existing Guild Wars characters -18 huge, multi-level dungeons to explore -Monuments of your Guild Wars achievements that give access to special items and titles in Guild Wars 2 -150 new skills (50 of which are special, roleplaying-only skills) to use against your foes -10 new Heroes to help you in your adventures -40 new armor sets suitable for the great heroes of the land -A first look at three of the exciting new playable races in Guild Wars 2 -Numerous new items, weapons, and titles to attain
Mark your calendar! 13 April 2007 will be GameOPS' biggest re-launch ever. We'll try to debunk the belief that Friday the 13th is unlucky so the staff decided to formally re-launch the site this coming friday. Watch out for more surprises on the 13th ;)
More pirated copies of Nintendo Wii games were spotted by GameOPS at Quiapo yesterday. GameOPS earlier reported about the existence of these pirated games and modchips at V-Mall in Greenhills San Juan. Each bootleg Nintendo Wii game costs P350 at V-Mall. Prices of these games are even cheaper at Quiapo. A stall sells these games at P250 each (approx. USD $5.10) and if you buy at least 5 games, expect to get them even lower.
Pirated PlayStation, PlayStation 2, XBOX, XBOX 360, and PC games/software are openly sold on the streets of Quiapo, Manila. Price ranges from P20-P150 per disc (approx. USD $0.41 - $3.06)
My god!!! My wait is finally over! I think..... Halo 2 will be released finally on the PC platform!!!!!!!! Halo 2 is the sequel to the highly successful and critically acclaimed Halo®: Combat Evolved. In Halo 2, the saga continues as Master Chief—a genetically enhanced super-soldier—is the only thing standing between the relentless Covenant and the destruction of all humankind.
But there is one problem...... it requires Windows Vista..... nice one microsoft...
If you think the Atari Jaguar controller (inset) is wierd, wait till you see the XBOX 360's newest add-on. The QWERTY attachment snaps at the bottom of thecurrent XBOX 360 controller enables XBOX 360 users to chat in-game without the need of a USB keyboard.
Other updates for XBOX 360 includes a Windows Live Messenger capability, downloads and power management feature, and more.
Rocky and I just learned about the latest on the Nintendo Wii modchip department. Our last trip to Greenhills Shopping Center's V-Mall last March 24th 2007 yielded the image above. About 50+ pirated Nintendo Wii DVD games being sold at P350 (approx. USD $7.14) each and Wii system modifications are now available. You can see on the photo that the game infront of the rack is the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess which only retails for P350, far from the P3500+ price tag of a legit game from DataBlitz.
I've asked the salesladies about the modchip being used, both of them (including the technician) were clueless on what chip it was and if it could also play pirated Nintendo GameCube discs. They even called someone when I asked for the price of each bootleg Nintendo Wii game since the games just arrived. Their store offers Wii modification for P2,500 (approx. USD $51.02).
After learning about this info, Rocky decided to asked around Shopesville. One stall was selling a modified US Nintendo Wii plus 5 pirated games of your choice for P22,000 (approx. USD $448.98). You'll be surprised that they're selling a modified XBOX 360 with 10 pirated games for only P19,000 (approx. USD $387.76).
If you wanted to modify your Nintendo Wii to play import games, GameOPS recommends EYO Sales. EYO revolutionized the import-modchip thing in the Philippines since they were really the ones who started the modchip business here. They offer Wii modifications for P3,500 (approx. USD $71.43). A bit expensive but you're sure your system will be safe. You may contact EYO Sales at +63(2)724-0755 and look for Eric, EYO Sales' owner. (GameOPS does not endorse bootleg games)
If Wii modchips and pirated games continue to proliferate, we might as well see Nintendo Wii as the next Sony PlayStation 2 of the Philippines.
At least in Japan, you'll be able to fight The Lion War against a friend.
March 14, 2007 - Square Enix confirmed to IGN today that the upcoming PSP remake, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War, will feature multiplayer battles. The two-player skirmishes will paint one team red and the other blue so you don't mistakenly attack your own Monk, and will have a set number of turns so as to prevent one player from simply avoiding the other forever.
Set to release in Japan next month, Square Enix unfortunately could not confirm a North American release at this time. The PSP is region free, though, so there's nothing stopping Tactics fans from importing the game and challenging a friend to a battle in Ivalice…except maybe all that darned Japanese text.
When I first played a MUGEN game in 2000, most characters available were from Dragon Ball Z and Street Fighter. MUGEN versions today now sport every imaginable characters. Example: Homer Simpson.
When I was young, video games, TVs, and any other forms of entertainment were prohibited during Good Fridays. Elders said that Good Friday is the day Christ died so everyone should do their own little sacrifice. That was before. Now, internet shops and some malls are open. Beaches and resorts are being flooded by people. So what could stop someone to play video games?
It seems that people are now starting to realize that sacrifices suck. Ok, before I get flamed by "teh believers", let me introduce you to the world of Christian video games. That's right, these are games made for Christians that supposedly would teach Christian values or whatever by a company called Wisdom Tree. These games were made years ago to be played on the Nintendo Entertainment System without Nintendo's approval. Talk about values. Pweh! Let's start with Bible Adventures for the NES
First thing you'll notice is the color of the cartridge. Instead of following the standard grayish color, Wisdom Tree made the cartridge color blue. Bible Adventures contains three games: Noah's Ark, Baby Moses, and David & Goliath. All three games require gamers to carry something to somewhere in the game. In Noah's Ark, you need to carry a pair of animals in your checklist to the ark. In Baby Moses, you control moses' mom and you have to carry baby Moses to the end of the level. Last game in the cartridge is David & Goliath. Well... you have to carry the sheep and dodge lions and falling rocks.
You wouldn't believe it, but I actually once owned this piece of crap. Good thing I gave it away.
There's another game I've played before, it's Super Noah's Ark 3D for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. I actually remembered playing it for less than 10 mins before I threw the cartridge away, literally.
As usual, the game is unlicensed and it sucks. Here's a more in-depth review of these Christian games from the Angry Video Game Nerd.
Rip-offs galore aren't they? What happen to the "thou shall not steal" commandment? And what's with Nintendo? Why didn't they sue Wisdom Tree for the unlicensed games? Hmmm...
Piracy is not new here in the Philippines, so when GoNintendo reader Micael sent a photo of fake Nintendo DS games to the GoNintendo staff, I wasn't surprised at first look. Pirated DVD movies, Audio CDs, PlayStation 2, XBOX, GameBoy games, etc. are normally found in Quiapo. You don't need a sixth sense to find them, just open your eyes and look around. They're everywhere in Quiapo! You can also find them on some stairways of the Metro Rail Transit in EDSA, wet markets, footbridges, and other places that people frequently visit.
Gameshops located within shopping malls like SM and Robinson's sells them underground. You'll see nothing displayed, until you ask one of their salesperson. The salesperson will then get folder or bundle of fake PS2 and XBOX games they're selling. Picture below is one shop located at SM North EDSA:
It was only when I enlarged the picture (fig.1) Micael sent that made may jaw drop. The fake Nintendo DS games are on display freely at the newly opened Toys 'R Us store here in the Philippines. Does the management know about this? Maybe, maybe not. As I've said, video game piracy is not new here so allow me to take you down in history with my personal experience. When my uncle gave me a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) as a present when I was 4 yrs old, the only game I have is the bundled Super Mario Bros. / Duckhunt game. Since the Philippines is closer to Japan than the United States, NES game cartridges were rare and expensive compared to its Japanese counterpart, the Famicom or Family Computer.
fig. 2
Since Famicom games cartridges are incompatible, I purchased a cartridge converter that allowed me to play Japanese carts on my US 8-bit game system. Normally, Famicom cartridges retailed around P75 - P300 (approx. US$3 - US$12 during that time) per game and rare NES cartridges are at P2500 - P3500 (approx. US$100 - US$140 during that time) each! So the most logical thing to do back then was to buy a converter (maybe considered the father of current modchips eh?). The photo above (fig.2) is a converter for my Japanese Super Famicom, similar on how the NES-Famcom converter works.
fig. 3
Above (fig.3) is a Famicom game my father bought at one of the game shops in Quiapo. Since there's no internet yet during those days, gamers rely on video game magazine for news. And video game piracy was not yet an issue during that time. We really don't know if the cartridges we're buying are legit or not. Apparently, the above cartridge is fake and I just learned about that a few years ago. I've also bought several (25/50/100)-in-1 Famicom carts and later learned that they're also fake.
fig. 4
Fast forward to my Super Famicom days (Japanese version of Super Nintendo Entertainment System). When I got my Super Famicom, I immediately went to the local Astrovision shop and bought a copy of then popular arcade game, Street Fighter II (fig.4). I'm still clueless on identifying a legit cartidge from not when the day I bought it. There was a manual included and the box seemed authentic. And surprisingly, the cartridge fits into Candice's Super NES.
During the NES-Super NES /Famicom-Super Famicom era here, the shop to go to was Hot Shots GameCenter in Raon, Astrovision in SM City North EDSA - Annex, and Video City in SM City North EDSA. Normally, Super Famicom cartridges retails at P1000 - P1500 (approx. US$40 - US$60 during that time). I don't know if they knew that the cartridges they're selling are original or pirated, neither do I.
fig. 5
When I bought my Street Fighter II Turbo (fig.5) in Japan, that's when I learned on how to detect an original copy from not. As you can see on the photo, the package contains a manual, 3 leaflets from Capcom, and the game cartridge is wrapped in plastic. Original Super Famicom cartridges would not fit into any Super NES console without using the converter. So by that time, 100% of the cartridges I bought before my Street Fighter II Turbo are all fake since all of them fit in Candice's Super NES!
fig. 6
When the era of PlayStation arrived, modchips started to pop and replace the old physical converter for the Super Famicom and Famicom game systems. The initial function of a modchip is to allow US gamers to play Japanese games and vice versa. But there was another feature that would live on upto this day. It is to allow everyone to play backup and pirated copies of PS1, PS2, XBOX, and XBOX360 games.
This era marked the start of rampant pirated Dreamcast, PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, and XBOX games being sold in the Philippines. For just P70 - P120 each (approx. US$1.43 - US$2.45 today), you can buy yourself a bootleg copy of a game. Above photo (fig.6) is a stall in one of the malls located at Caloocan City selling pirated PlayStation, PlayStation 2, GameBoy and XBOX games.
Above photo is taken last December 26, 2005 at Star City theme park. Fake DVD movies and games are openly sold.
Fake PC softwares are also openly sold at around P75 - P100 (approx. US$1.53 - US$2.04) per disc.
Games are not the biggest problem of the Optical Media Board but the rampant piracy of DVD movies.
Local movies get pirated even before they get an official DVD release. They come bundled too.
An entire floor of a building in Manila has stalls of pirated DVDs.
Karaoke DVDs are being sold for only P50 each (approx. US$1.02).
Lots of pirated DVD movies.
As you can see on the photo above, building owners tolerate DVD piracy. The encircled part reads:
1st Offense - fine of P2,000.00 and cut-off electricity for 1 day. 2nd Offense - fine of P5,000.00 and stall closed for 1 week. 3rd Offense - eviction from Good Earth Plaza and forfeiture of deposits.
DVD Prices on the Photo:
8 in 1 DVD movie - P60 (approx. US$1.22) Mini-DVD movie - P50 (approx. US$1.02) Single DVD movie with Case - P40 (approx. US$0.82) Concerts 8 in 1 DVD - P70 (approx. US$1.43) Single Concert DVD - P50 (approx. US$1.02)
and more pirated DVD movies...
...and still more.
Piracy is not limited to optical media. As you can see on the photo above, it's a PS2 controller that I bought at eBay. The seller said that it was an authentic and brand new controller. Guess what, it's fake.
There are also fake iPods, wallets, bags, shoes, medicines, food, cellphones, etc. Remember the Robo Watch in the 1980's? Well it also got pirated and was sold here. Even TV shows are pirated here. You may get the impression that the Philippines is the center and source of piracy... you're wrong. According to the merchants at Quiapo, they usually get their supplies from China or Malaysia. So why is piracy so rampant here? Number 1, they're too expensive for the average Juan to buy.
When I bought Glen's GameCube last year, I tried to look for The Legend Zelda: Twilight Princess on video gameshops. But the game is either out of stock or simply damn expensive. On one store I've asked, they were selling their only copy for P5500 (approx. US$112.24)! Other games were also priced a lot higher than their original price. Old GameCube games are priced from P2500 - P4000 (approx. US$51.02 - US$81.63) and their game collection is very limited and the games are old.
Piracy is everywhere. If you have a computer with a broadband connection, you don't need to shop for fake DVD movies and video games. All you need is to download them from torrent sites.
The only difference of piracy in the Philippines and other parts of Asia is that it is being openly tolerated, unlike in USA and other countries.
[ THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED AT MY BLOG (CAPTAIN'S LOG) ON MARCH 11th 2007 ]
Last March 30, we (jepoy, siopao and I) went to gilmore to buy DDR400 RAM sticks (yes, rams). While we're strolling at Gilmore IT center, there was a demo of Intel showing off it's new Celeron D product line. A guy sitting infront of a big screen just showing off the power of the Celeron gaming rig. So after a few strolls, we had our break at "Little House", again few strolls, buy the things we need. After I must say 45 mins, this guy is still playing the damn racing game! All of the customers want to test the rig but unfortunately they can't because of this guy.
We found out that he was working there to attract customers but unfortunately, he just plays all day... hahaha stupid one......
Rocky and I finally decided to abort the re-launch of GameOPS...
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Ok, that was a lame April Fool's joke. Anyway, after some digging in my stuffs, I was able to recover a CD that contains a few backup of the old GameOPS and igad Video Game E-Zine. I reposted some of the articles and you may see the list here. I'll try to update the links later or tomorrow :)
Subscribe to our feed and be the first to know the date of the grand daddy of all GameOPS re-launch. :D
ABOUT GAMEOPS
GameOPS.net is your ultimate Filipino source for all things that matter to gamers. From video games, animes, asian tv series, babes, gadgets, the latest cellphones, comics, and more, GameOPS is here to give you the latest.
![GameOPS [video games, gadgets, etc.]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/jepoy/gameops/gameops10.png)
Founder. Self proclaimed RPG, Zelda handheld & Resident Evil King. 
Co-founder, webmaster. Nintendo and Zelda console fanatic.
2D Fighting games specialist. NBA Live Forum's top Pinoy patcher.
Civilization addict. One of the original founders of igad Comics.
Atari era boy, PC gamer, PS1 graphics hater, PS2 convert, drools over PS3.
Handheld guru, loves anime & cosplay. Listens to j-music & is in love with Leah Dizon.
Looking for next-gen gaming? Then he's your man. From Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3, PSP, to the Nintendo DS.
Certified GameOPS Gurl Gamer. Online multi-player games are her favorites.
Online Games, Social Networking, Anime and Cosplay are his expertise.
Pokemon, documentaries, religious materials, magazines, tennis are some of his interests. He also moderates the K-Zone Philippines forums.
