Hacking the PSP Blog

Off Topic: Nintendo Confirms Plans For WiiWare Downloadable Content

Officials from Nintendo have confirmed plans to release original downloadable content on the Wii, with an announcement today at a private Nintendo developer conference.

The company describes WiiWare as a “game-creation service” that will allow developers of all sizes to create downloadable games content for sale by Nintendo through the Wii Shop Channel.

Currently over one hundred retro tiles are available for download via the Wii’s virtual console, with games paid for via redeemable Wii Points. Other content has so far been restricted to new interactive channels, all of which have been free (although the Internet Channel – featuring a re-purposed Opera Web browser - will incur a charge of 500 Wii Points ($5) from the beginning of July).

In a press statement Nintendo suggests that WiiWare will pave the way for “smaller, more creative games” at lower prices and without any inventory risk to developer. Despite the announcement today, though, the first WiiWare content will not be launched until early 2008.

"Independent developers armed with small budgets and big ideas will be able to get their original games into the marketplace to see if we can find the next smash hit," said Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. "WiiWare brings new levels of creativity and value to the ever-growing population of Wii owners."

David Jenkins
June 27, 2007

Source: Gamasutra

Daedalus R12 Released (N64 Emulator for PSP)

StrmnNrmn has released yet another version of his Nintendo 64 emulator for the PSP, Daedalus. Most of his focus went into compatibilty with Super Smash Bros but he says that the changes may very well have provided a boost for other games as well. Below is the change log posted on StrmnNrmn's blog and the download link is just beneath that. Enjoy!

• [!] Fixed issue preventing Goldeneye from being loaded.
  
• [!] Fixed dynarec for Goldeneye.
  
• [!] Fixed dynarec for Super Smash Bros.
  
• [!] Fix various texturing issues with 4bpp and small or non power-of-2 textures.
  
• [!] Fix TexRect instructions with negative s/t components.
  
• [!] Fixed the HUD in Mario 64 (broken in R11.)
  
• [!] Fixed lights in F3DEX2 microcodes.
  
• [+] Correctly implement instruction fetch exceptions, improving compatibility.
  
• [+] Improved floating point compatibility.
  
• [+] Correctly handle mask_s/mask_t tile values.
  
• [+] Implemented a few custom blend modes.
  
• [+] Screenshots just cover visible viewport.

Download Daedalus R12 for FW 1.00
Download Daedalus R12 for FW 1.50

Source: Retro Console Dev

SCEA: PSP Will Be Big Revenue Driver

GameDaily BIZ recently sat down with SCEA Senior Marketing Manager, John Koller, to talk about the PSP's recent boost in sales, the lessons they've learned in the handheld business and how it stands today. Here's some of the interview:

GameDaily BIZ: So how do you feel about the progress you've made since entering the portable gaming space?

John Koller: Very strong. It's been a fantastic experience for Sony and SCEA overall. We were to new to the handheld space on the gaming side, and we really carved out a new area. We created a product with the PSP that differentiated significantly from all the other portable products that are available, whether it's the DS on the gaming side or the iPod on the video/music side. Nothing really comes together with all the feature sets that the PSP has... I've been giving my "Knut Rockne speech" for the last six months or so, but this is really going to be a big year for the PSP. That kicked off a few months ago with the price drop campaign, but if we continue through the year with the number of titles that'll be coming out, some of the announcements at E3 and then beyond, some of the things that'll be happening in the fall... The PSP is a fantastic growth platform for SCEA and we look at it as a significant revenue driver for us as we continue through the year and beyond.

BIZ: If you look at the competition, Nintendo has owned this space for such a long time, and with the DS they're outselling the PSP worldwide about 40 million to 20 million units. Do you even think about trying to become number one or are you just happy to be able to carve out a niche for the PSP, considering that in all the previous years competitors (Game Gear, Lynx, etc.) met their demise facing the Game Boy?

JK: We certainly look at the competition and see how they're stacking up and what they're doing, but we have our own strategy in place. And we do look at the DS as a competitor on the gaming side but we also look at what Apple's doing with iPod and what Microsoft's doing with Zune and even what some of the mobile phone companies have been doing with their products, so we can make the PSP that much better. I think where the PSP has the opportunity to gain the most traction over the next few years is really in the teen and younger demographic, which Nintendo traditionally has carved out. We've been targeting the 13- to 17-year-old throughout this whole year and we've seen a significant amount of sales coming from that group. In fact, that's the number one owner group now of PSPs.

Read the full interview here...

Source: GameDaily BIZ

Burnout advert branded "irresponsible" by ASA

The Advertising Standards Authority has branded a poster for Electronic Arts title Burnout Dominator as "irresponsible" following complaints from members of the public.

An ASA spokesperson told GamesIndustry.biz that 37 complaints were received about the advert, which depicted a crashed car surrounded by broken glass and featured the slogan: "Inner peace through outer violence."

"The complainants described the advert as offensive as it condoned and was likely to encourage violence, dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour such as vandalism," the spokesperson said.

"The Advertising Standards Authority determined that the implication of the advertisment was likely to cause serious or widespread offence."

The ASA also found that the image of the car and reference to violence in the slogan "could be seen to condone a violent lifestyle, anti-social behaviour or dangerous driving" and that the poster was "therefore in breach of advertising codes".

Electronic Arts was given the opportunity to defend the poster, and said it was clear the advert was for a videogame and was not condoning violence. However, EA will abide by the ASA's instruction that the ad is not to appear again "in its current form".

The ASA has also recommended that in future EA seeks advice from the copy advice team of the commitee of advertising practice.

Ellie Gibson
June 27, 2007

Source: GamesIndustry.biz