Archive | February, 2009
X-Arcade X-tasy
“Mr. Fun,” as he calls himself, from F as in Fun had a chance to review the X-Arcade Dual Joystick. From the joys of playing Donkey Kong and Crazy Climber to the relief of having a piece of equipment that’s meant to weather the years, check out the review here in part 1 and in part 2.
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Quake Live Goes Live
25. February 2009
Id Software’s Quake Live has been in development in closed beta for nearly 7 months, but has finally entered Open Beta stage for everyone to play now! QUAKE LIVE is a new and innovative multiplayer game experience from id Software – the creators of DOOM and QUAKE – that offers game players of all skill levels a totally free and easily accessible multiplayer game and community through a single website. Every element of the QUAKE LIVE experience, from finding and playing games to post match stats review and social networking are delivered through a single state-of-the-art website. “This is a very exciting time for the project and we hope that all of you, who have contributed your time and feedback, share in that excitement.”
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Xbox 360 Motion Controller Rumors Resurface, Is Microsoft Buying Motion Tech Firm?
23. February 2009
Anonymous sources close to Microsoft have confirmed that the company is buying 3DV Systems, a motion-detection interface company.
3DV has been designing its camera technologies for some time; its ZCams are said to be a far more accurate version of Sony’s EyeToy, due to the fact that the devices can interpret how far away a subject is from its lens. The technology had reportedly been used in “advanced defense systems”, and has already been described as superior – in terms of accuracy – to the Wii Remote.
We at Arcade Junkies have been reporting on the overwhelming evidence that Microsoft is working on some form of motion technology for quite some time. While there has been much speculation as to which technology they would use, the fact that they are working on something Wii-like is the worst kept secret in the gaming industry.
Source: EDGE
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KEEP – A MAME-Killer in Development at Portsmouth University
12. February 2009
UK-based Portsmouth University in co-operation with the European-based KEEP (Keeping Emulation Environments Portable) have an ambitious plan that aims to save old video games from the ‘digital black hole’ by developing the world’s first general purpose emulator and archival system. And yes, even though it sounds like the famous arcade emulator MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) with newsgroups, it’s not. It’s much bigger than that.
The project aims to safeguard old game files in the same way that aging literary works are now being digitally archived online, including Google’s large database of books. And once all those gaming files are securely stored away, the project aims to go one step further by developing emulation software that can play all those files. The project’s ultimate aim is to design an emulator that will play all of ‘em, from 1970s Space Invaders games to three-inch floppy discs.
An interesting quote from Doc Anderson says “Early hardware like games consoles and computers are already found in museums but if you can’t show visitors what they did, by playing the software on them, it would be much the same as putting musical instruments on display but throwing away all the music. For future generations it would be a cultural catastrophe.” Maybe someone should tell him the famous phrase ‘what goes on the internet, stays on the internet’.
But there’s still more to it than that. They go on to say in the press release that “Currently, there are lots of emulators out there, but they are all self-enclosed and can become obsolete just like the media they are emulating.” So what happens if the MAME devs all die off and MAME no longer works on the next big O/S? “The difference with [KEEP] emulation is that you are freed from these problems. Every time hardware, software, operating systems or anything else upgrade, the KEEP machine just emulates on this new platform. It means it is as future-proof as these things get.”
So somehow this can magically work on future un-made operating systems? Color us skeptical.
Read the Full Press Release Details
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Goldeneye Source
9. February 2009
Many moons ago (December 2005 to be exact) we told you all about the first beta release of Goldeneye Source, a remake of Goldeneye 64 for PC using the Half-Life 2 engine. Well believe it or not beta 3 just got released. Yeah, so the Half-Life 2 engine is far from cutting edge now, but it’s still way better than the original N64 version, and includes online play. Check out the video below to see for yourself. And when you’re ready to get owned by the Xgaming crew, hit the link below to download the mod (requires Half-Life 2).
Download Goldeneye Source Beta 3
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Space Invader Cookies: Step-by-Step Instructions w/Pics
9. February 2009
For your next game party why not try a snack to impress, like these homemade Space Invader cookies. As if there weren’t already enough great uses for your Play-Doh fun factory, you can make 8-bit cookies as well. Check out this Flickr page for full step-by-step image instructions for making your own.
As for me however, that looks like kitchen work, so I’ll stick to spray-painting my Rice Krispie® treats.
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Image Gallery
27. February 2009
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