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PS3 Alone in the Dark much better; Xbox 360 version coming out of the dark with patch

Mabie A. — 2008-08-21T17:07:51-07:00

The PS3 version of Atari's Alone in the Dark (also on PC and Wii) won't be coming out till October 14, but in an ironic twist of events, it looks like the delay due to framerate issues proved to be a good thing.

In an odd twist of events, the older Xbox 360 version of the game, which was released a couple of months back, will be taking a page out of the yet-to-arrive PS3 version's book.

News has it that Eden Studios is currently working on a patch for the Xbox 360 version to put it up at par with the PS3 version. The 360 version had a lot of glitches which pretty much overshadowed the potential of the survival horror game. Now it seems that the creators are bent on making things right.

And it looks as if the decision to cook the PS3 version a little longer has paid off seeing as how the one shown at Leipzig this week proved to be a redeeming factor. Changes in the PS3 version include streamlined inventory systems, more coherent integration of the final section of the game with the flipping trees, and a better camera system and controls for on-foot and driving sections.

As to what tweaks the patch for the Xbox 360 will have, they have yet to reveal. But if the improvements in Alone in the Dark's PS3 version are any indication, then they are definitely in the cooker themselves to correct the injustice of releasing the other versions of the game with that much glitches. So are we going to also see improvements for the other versions?

FTC gives EA its blessing to go ahead with Take-Two takeover

Mabie A. — 2008-08-21T16:15:31-07:00

The wait is finally over for Electronic Arts -- at least as far as the Fedral Trade Commission is concerned. A couple of months ago, EA made an agreement with the FTC stating that they will hold out on buying Take-Two until one of these two things happen: a) FTC finishes its investigation on the takeover bid, or b) 45 days pass after EA complies with an information request from FTC.

Well it looks like it's scenario A that happened as the Federal Trade Commission has now given EA the green light on their proposal for the Take-Two acquisition. The conclusion of the non-public investigation, which was to determine whether EA's acquisition of T2 may violoate Section 7 of the Clayton Act or Section 5 of the FTC Act, was that the potential merger would not substantially lessen competition in the games market.

A letter sent by the FTC to both companies involved read, "Upon further review of this matter, it now appears that no additional action by the Commission is warranted at this time. Accordingly, the investigation has been closed."

Talks are still going on between the two companies, but it does look like it's about to come to a close. What's keeping the debate raging on is the issue on the appropriate per-share asking price. With this FTC development, it looks like Pachter sure is a step closer to proving his prediction true: EA will win out this round.

Related EA-Take-Two acquisition Articles:

Nanotech dates back to middle ages: church windows purify air

Gino D. — 2008-08-21T14:20:52-07:00

It turns out that nanotechnology existed way before the space age. It's just been discovered that the stained glass windows of churches dating as far back as the ancient middle ages actually act like modern-day air purifiers. Neat, huh?

This means that glaziers - people who cut and fit glass for windows or doors for a living - are probably the first nanomachinists. Whether or not they were aware of it, the simple fact of the matter is that they were using nanotechnology.

See, the glass stained windows of many European churches were created with a bit of gold nanoparticles thrown into the mixture. These gold nanoparticles are the ones that purify the air.

When sunlight hits these particles in the glass, the itty bitty gold flakes start to resonate to the electromagnetic field of the sun's light waves. And once the tiny gold particles get charged up enough, they produce large enough magnetic fields themselves, which break down nearby pollutant molecules in the air.

"In modern language," says Professor Zhu Huai Yong, from Queensland Univeristy of Technology's School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, "photocatalytic air purifier with nanostructured gold catalyst." Say what? A photo-cata-whatta? Just think of it as a solar-powered air purifier.

What's cool though is that this discovery has opened up a potentially unique way of harnessing power, and ultimately, minimizing chemical wastes. As Professor Zhu explains:

This technology is solar-powered, and is very energy efficient, because only the particles of gold heat up. In conventional chemical reactions, you heat up everything, which is a waste of energy. Once this technology can be applied to produce specialty chemicals at ambient temperature, it heralds significant changes in the economy and environmental impact of the chemical production.

Bose SoundDock Series II: supports iPhone 3G, new aux input, better remote

Isaac C. — 2008-08-21T13:35:17-07:00

A lot of you folks who got yourself an iPhone 3G may be having a grand time with it, unless you're part of that population who own the Bose SoundDock system and discovered too late that it won't charge your unit.

No worries - sell it and get yourself the SoundDock Series II. It's very similar to the original - in fact, it's been designed to look similar - except that it charges the iPhone 3G.

The new SoundDock also has the SoundDock Portable's more advanced remote control, and a new auxiliary input so you can plug in other audio devices. The device will be available by September, and will be going for US 299. If you didn't buy the original SoundDock, you might want to consider buying Series II anyway.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed demo on XBL, PSN goes live today

Gino D. — 2008-08-21T12:32:41-07:00

Right on time! LucasArts' free PS3 and Xbox 360 demo for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has finally gone live on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

Yeah, finally we're introduced to Darth Vader's so-called Secret Apprentice. And they say the physics engine used in the game is pretty rad too. Better grab the demo now so you know whether or not to get it later on (the game gets released next month on retail - September 16 in North America).

The XBL version is just a little over 900MB and gives a little sampling of the game. It also includes a tutorial on how to use the Secret Apprentice's Force abilities.

Meanwhile, the PSN demo... well, it's already available in Europe, however, as of writing, the PSN Thursday update for North America hasn't come around yet, but chances are, you'll be getting it soon too. You might want to check later on in the day if it does become available. Update Yep, North America has it now too. Go, get thee hence! Download. Now!

Say, any of you guys realize that the Secret Apprentice is actually Sam Witwer? Fellow Battlestar Galactica fans would recognize him as Crashdown. See, he's providing the voice for the Apprentice, and the designers of the game actually fashioned the character based on Witwer's appearance. From cylon-smashing to stormtrooper-pwning, eh? Nice.

Buy: [Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360), (PS3)]

Leipzig: Bully heading to PC this October

Isaac C. — 2008-08-21T12:29:16-07:00

After a spectacular debut on the PlayStation 2 - and a not-as-spectacular-but-still-good debut on the Xbox 360 and the Wii - Rockstar's Bully will be coming to the PC this October. The port will be based on the enhanced Scholarship Edition of the game, which means we'll see all the extra content the 360 and the Wii got.

This is according to new info IGN got from Rockstar at Leipzig. No news on whether we'll see even more unlockable content once it hits though. But then, I think gamers will just be happy if they don't experience the same bugs and glitches that the Xbox 360 version got.

Nintendo gets hit with (another) patent infringement suit

Isaac C. — 2008-08-21T12:16:58-07:00

A few months ago, Nintendo lost a lawsuit to Anascape Ltd. over the tech used in several of their controllers. Not only is Nintendo being forced to pay US 21 million, but they are also facing a ban to sell their controllers. It looks like it isn't over for Nintendo yet though.

Another company called Hillcrest Laboratories is now pushing for another lawsuit, this time for the Wiimote's motion-control tech and the graphical interface software used on the television. They are looking to block shipments of the Wii and Wiimotes in the US, and have filed a complaint to the US International Trade Commission.

At this rate, Nintendo may have to develop a controller-less console. Nintendo spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa had this to say: "We haven't received any notice of the lawsuit and therefore are not in a position to comment at this time."

Acclaim boss: Sony has no chance of making money on the PS3

Isaac C. — 2008-08-21T11:34:06-07:00

Acclaim boss David Perry seems to be making a habit out of bold claims lately. Last month at E3, he claimed that the event was broken, expensive, and an embarrassment to the industry.

From what we've seen of the event, his words struck home. His latest claim feels a bit premature for me, but what do you guys think? Perry says that Sony has no chance of profiting from the PlayStation 3, and that they'll never achieve the same success that they got from the PS2:

Because of the cost of making the PlayStation 3 and because they sold it at a loss, Sony basically has pretty much no chance of making money on the PS3, because it's lost more money than they made during the entire peak of the PlayStation 2. It's not going to happen again for Sony

Quite a bold thing to say, considering that the PlayStation 3 has been increasing in sales lately, and that the Leipzig Games Convention is still ongoing and Sony may still have a couple of surprises.

NPD, Chart Track, Enterbrain combined global report: GTA4 on top, Wii games follow

Gino D. — 2008-08-21T11:16:10-07:00

The top three marketing firms tracking sales in North America, the UK, and Japan are teaming up. While there are continuous individual reports from the NPD Group (New York), Chart Track (London), and Enterbrain (Tokyo), they'll now be combining results every month in the form of the Top Global Markets Report.

The Top Global Markets Report, as announced via press release, will be released on a per month basis and will show video game titles, the number of sales and market share - basically, the usual stuff we see in charts. What's cool now is that we get to see monthly reports as a whole, with all three regional numbers combined.

And look what we have here! The first Top Global Markets Report has already been released, and guess what's on top?

Grand Theft Auto 4 -- 6,293,000 -- 4,711,000 -- 1,582,000 -- NA
Super Smash Bros. Brawl -- 5,433,000 -- 3,539,000 -- 213,000 -- 1,681,000
Mario Kart Wii -- 4,697,000 -- 2,409,000 -- 687,000 -- 1,601,000
Wii Fit -- 3,604,000 -- 1,433,000 -- 624,000 -- 1,547,000
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock -- 3,475,000 -- 3,037,000 -- 412,000 -- 26,000

The first number (the ones in bold font) are the totals for all three regions. The following three numbers show, in order, totals for US, UK, and Japan.

What you have to know here is that this first report is a year-to-date software sales total. Also, do note that GTA4 has only been released in the US and Europe, and not in Japan. Which says a lot because, even with Japan excluded from the numbers, GTA4 is still on top.

If you look at the following three games though, all three of them are Wii-exclusive titles. Which also says a lot for Brawl, Kart, and Fit because, even without a multi-platform sales push, they still remain somewhere at the top.

For now, there doesn't seem to be any sign of any software from the handheld side of the market. Maybe soon enough, as the months progress, we'll see constant upheavals popping in and out of the charts.

2008 set to become coldest year of the century

Isaac C. — 2008-08-21T10:54:57-07:00

The good news is, this year may be the coldest for this century. The bad news is, that doesn't really mean squat because we're only a few years into the century, and 2008 is still set to be the 10th warmest year since 1850.

According to temperatures taken during the first half of the year, 2008 has been 0.1 Celsius cooler than any year since 2000. Not a lot, and it certainly won't help the polar bears keep their home come summer, but we take what we can get.

The reason for the not-so-deep freeze is the La Nina, a natural process which cools the globe. The effects have been waning in the last few months though, and weather is starting to become neutral again. Scientists believe that the ice in the Arctic sea seem to be holding together better than last year, but are wary since the ice is still fragile.

Astro Ranch to lasso on iPhone, DS, N-Gage

Gino D. — 2008-08-21T09:41:51-07:00

Astro Ranch is set to be released some time next year for the iPhone, with accompanying versions for the Nintendo DS and Nokia N-Gage to follow. But what is it, really? Take equal parts Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon, and add a hefty dose of, say, The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Developed by Tag Games, Astro Ranch will have you playing a space explorer named Sindy Starlight who's starting up her intergalactic ranch. The concept is simple, but other mini-games and touches of fancy are thrown in. More so, there's going to be some interconnectivity going on that will allow you to interact with other friends playing the game, and even trade some in-game items with them.

Check out the screens below to see what it'll look like on the iPhone. If you want to hear more about Astro Ranch, you can read up on a full interview with one of the games designers through the Via link below.

Leipzig - Tomb Raider: Underworld gameplay video

Isaac C. — 2008-08-21T09:35:28-07:00

More videos are busting out from the Leipzig Games Convention. The latest one out of the event is a gameplay vid of everyone's favorite raider Lara Croft in her latest adventure, Tomb Raider: Underworld for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.

The video was just taken by a camcorder during the event but still, it's a pretty good recording, and we still get to see Lara show off her moves, and battle a couple of tigers and come out without a scratch. Well, granted they had scratched her enough to maul her to death, but Lara's a tough girl.

Tomb Raider: Underworld is set to come out this November. The game will also be released for the PC, DS, Wii, and PS2. Here's the vid, enjoy:

Leipzig: Wrath of the Lich King opening cinematic

Isaac C. — 2008-08-21T08:45:26-07:00

Heads up, World of Warcraft gamers! As promised, Blizzard has released the opining cinematic of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion at the Leipzig Games Convention! I can't express just how awesome it is, so why don't you see for yourselves? Watch the video below.

Aside from the movie, Blizzard will also host a Q&A portion, playable demos, and a forum at the convention. We'll be sure to let you know if anything new comes out of the event. Enough dilly-dally though, here's the movie, enjoy!

Tecmo president resigns

Gino D. — 2008-08-21T08:29:33-07:00

Tecmo has been in pretty hot waters for the past couple of months now. Out of the pan, into the fire, ya?

The whole ordeal with Tomonobu Itagaki leaving Team Ninja wrought some other consequences for Tecmo. And now, Tecmo has announced that their current president, Yoshimi Yasuda, will be resigning.

Some of you may remember Yoshimi Yasuda. When Itagaki slapped a court case on Tecmo, he singled out Yasuda, saying the president had been committing unlawful acts against him - namely, not getting paid the full amount supposedly agreed upon after finishing Dead or Alive 4.

On top of that, there's also been some grumbling from other Tecmo employees, saying that Yasuda has been implementing unfair business practices such as unpaid overtime hours, falsified contracts, etc.

According to Tecmo's board of directors, Yasuda's resignation - which was done for "personal reasons" - has now been accepted.

The new president will be the chairman of the Tecmo board of directors, Yasuharu Kakihara, and will be starting his new post on September 1.

AnyRegion Changer v1.0: modifies region and language settings

Isaac C. — 2008-08-21T08:05:49-07:00

Wiibrew developer tona - author of AnyTitle Deleter - has released AnyRegion Changer, a program similar to waninkoko's popular (or is it infamous?) program, the Wii Region Changer. As the name of the program suggests, it allows you to change the region and language settings of your console. It even lets you install any region's System Menu.

Having established that, please be reminded that any Wiibrew program modifying your console's settings may potentially corrupt its system, possibly to the point of bricking. Please read the documentation included with the download, as it contains vital information about the Wiibrew.

Download: AnyRegion Changer v1.0

Related Wiibrew:

PSP Pandora Deluxe v1.1: bug fix, Despertar Cementerio v7

Isaac C. — 2008-08-21T07:26:36-07:00

It was only a few days ago when PSP homebrew developer DJB released v1 of PSP Pandora Deluxe. Apparently he's been pretty busy as the program is now on version 1.1, with a bug fix and the latest version of Dark AleX's Despertar Cementerio.

Just in case you missed the previous releases, PSP Pandora Deluxe preps up your PSP mem stick to make your life easier when making a Pandora Battery.

Here's the changelog for this version:

v1.1 (2008-08-20)

Fixed a small bug.
Replaced Despertar Cementerio v6 with v7.

Download: PSP Pandora Deluxe v1.1

Kratos in Hot Shots Golf... yup

Administrator — 2008-08-21T02:02:42-07:00

Thoroughly confused and unsure exactly what to make of this. So um, yeah, Kratos, chick layer, monster slayer and all around badass looks set to make a cameo appearance in Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds. The whole deal just seems like a bad idea, surely there are other more appropriate cross-game characters, like Clank, or Sackboy or... just about anyone! What's next? Kratos plushies?

Babification of well loved characters is never a good thing.

It's okay, you can laugh, I believe that's the idea.

Is it hypocritical of me to have a problem with this but be in love with the Sackboy Kratos?

Leipzig: Sony harnesses demons, black magic, summons EyePet for PS3

Administrator — 2008-08-21T01:37:14-07:00

How's that PlayStation Eye treatin' ya? Gathering dust is it? Tired of scaring the crap out of your virtual fish, or leading hapless lemmings to safety? Behold the cure, just revealed at Leipzig, Sony's PSEye powered virtual pet game, EyePet, looks pretty darn spiffy. If what's shown in this video is actually indicative of how smart and reactive these little fellas are then I want one!

How neat would it be to have a Spore like mechanic that would allow us to to create our own custom EyePets and trade or share them? And how awesome would it be to have Sackboy as a downloadable EyePet! Oh! Or a Chocobo!

Alright that's enough of that, just watch the video and be amazed.

wanders off in search of red meat and a car to fix

Hajime Tabata reveals some details for The 3rd Birthday

Victor B. — 2008-08-20T22:22:35-07:00

Hajime Tabata recently went on record to explain some of the goings on in the latest Parasite Eve title, The 3rd Birthday, noting that Aya Brea's new mission is going to involve a new brand of enemy and a lot of gunplay.

Perhaps of import for those folks who loved the Parasite Eve games is that this game is set firmly after the resolution of the previous games, seeing as Aya Brea is now 35, numerically speaking. Her powers, as great as they are, will probably be tested against a new enemy, which Tabata called The Twisted. Luckily, Brea has a new power called overdrive, which will allow her to both fight and understand the nature of The Twisted.

Tabata also said that the sequel would be a "true third person shooter" that would be different from Dirge of Cerberus. He also mentioned that Square Enix was working with another development team to make the game, but didn't mention the people the company was working with.

As for the game itself, Tabata mentioned that the game would may have wireless play, though it wasn't sure yet if it would be net based or ad-hoc. Lastly, it was also revealed that the game's scenario and design were nearing completion.

Keep checking QJ for more updates to The 3rd Birthday. In the meantime, feel free to speculate as to how the Overdrive power connects with Aya Brea's mitochondria-based abilities.

Microbatteries made out of M13 viruses

Mabie A. — 2008-08-20T21:56:56-07:00

Everything's going mini today (even Paris Hilton's collection of toy dogs), that's why it's becoming more and more imperative for science to come up with batteries that will fit these mini-everything-gadgets.

Well, it seems like a team of MIT researchers also do recognize this need, and that's why they created a microbattery small and powerful enough to be able to run a range of miniature devices. Oh, and it's made of viruses. But some of these devices they are looking to use their breakthrough creation on are labs-on-a-chip and implantable medical sensors.

The MIT team composed of professors Angela Belcher, Paula Hammond and Yet-Ming Chiang put into place mini-electrodes with the M13 virus to create the small battery, measuring 6.5 nanometers in diameter and 8880 nanometers in length. What comes next is putting in the cathode, which is the positive electrode that receives electrons from the device the battery is powering. To do this, they used their viral assembly technique. According to Belcher and company, "Cathode materials are currently being investigated for a full self-assembled microbattery."

Their breakthrough procedure is reported this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).