NEXT GEN CONSOLES

[Paul ™]

From Nintendo.co.uk

With Mario Kart Wii’s launch date of 11 April fast approaching, Wii owners are gearing up for a racing experience unrivalled by any other in the kart racing series. While the game introduces a slew of new features across the board, perhaps most eagerly awaited are its online options, which take the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection action found in Mario Kart DS to a whole new level.

In Mario Kart Wii you can go online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection by yourself or together with a friend playing on the same Wii console, and let the games begin! You can directly jump into online races with random players Worldwide, or opt for Continental if you prefer a challenge closer to home.

Then you will be placed in a new group of people looking for a match, or you will join an existing group. When the latter happens you will become a spectator of that group’s race currently in progress, as you wait for your turn to hit the track. With up to 12 players being able to battle or race on the circuits of the Mushroom Kingdom simultaneously, Mario Kart Wii is set to provide the biggest challenge in the series to date!

After swapping Friend Codes with other players, you will also be able to see how many of your mates are online, and choose to Create a Room or select Join Friend to gather in a room with your friends before you start your engines.

Once inside a room, the globe familiar from the Forecast Channel will highlight the location of all players present. This is where you can text chat with your friends by making a selection from dozens of predefined messages, letting you suggest exactly which kind of race you want to play: from Battle to Grand Prix, and from Team play to your circuit of choice. The Host then decides the race settings, but the track selection is based on the votes of all players combined.

Mario Kart Wii also allows you to install the Mario Kart Channel on your Wii console. This Channel lets you check up on a host of options without the need of inserting the Mario Kart Wii disc into your system.

The Ranking option lets you see your statistics for each track and compare your results to those of your Friends and other players worldwide, represented by their Miis. You’ll have the option of racing against the Ghosts of the best players, or improving your results gradually by taking on the Ghosts of rivals whose times are only slightly better than yours. Players can choose whether they want to share their Time Trial Ghosts with the rest of the world, allowing you to match your skills against the cream of the crop whenever you want.

Another all-new feature of this Channel are the Competitions, where Nintendo will on a regular basis invite players to speedy challenges similar to the Missions of Mario Kart DS. The Channel also allows you to check your ranking in running Competitions as well as Time Trials. You can also go here to register Friends and see if any of them are currently online.

[modey]

You need the custom firmware to run the homebrew stuff, the latest is 3.90 M33 (hacked version of the official Sony £3.90).

It can be found HERE.

Instructions for installing are included in the zip i think, it's easy enough to do although you will need to keep updating it periodically, this is ridiculously easy with the newer M33 versions though

[dakyras]

RE: Awlriiiight

[Jaybles]

so can that firmware 3.90 m33 be put onto my psp with firmware 3.90, it says in the readme file Installation requires a PSP with 3.52 M33-3 or higher.

Don't want to end up with an expensive paperweight.

Edited March 5, 2008 by JayBNO1

[modey]

I was looking at this myself as i have a 3.90 slim.

my understnading you need 3.52 M33-3 or higher but it needs to be an M33-3.

So you cant do it from an official 3.90.

The only way to get to an M33-3 is if you go from an official 2.71 or lower. so i dont think you can do it.

[Jaybles]

can you let me know how it goes.

if it works i would do the same!

[modey]

can you let me know how it goes.

if it works i would do the same!

[berk]

I bought mine second hand with 3.03OE installed so it was just a matter of upgrading to get up to 3.90m33.

I just googled "psp firmware downgrader" and got a few relevant results, there is a downgrader available so you should be able to downgrade then build back up with the hacked versions

Edited March 6, 2008 by berk

[t8yman]

I think i'll just buy a pandoras battery and download the files to create my own magic memeory card, that seems like the easiest option.

[modey]

I dont think a pandora battery is a physical product modey, from the (very vague) skim of the warez sites, it appears to be a battery softmod to your original psp battery. I might well be wrong, but that was what I understood it to be.

[Huevos y Bacon]

I tried out Bioshock last night. It's great to see a game with such an individual design ethos and the world it creates is so appealing. And it even seems to run OK on high on my old PC.

[t8yman]

I tried out Bioshock last night. It's great to see a game with such an individual design ethos and the world it creates is so appealing. And it even seems to run OK on high on my old PC.

[Huevos y Bacon]

its a great game, worthy of its many awards. a little bit repetitive at times, but a real joy to play. I kept it when I traded other games in because I do intend to revisit rapture.

[modey]

I sold my copy of bioshock when i completed it, wish i hadn't now, i'll probably buy it again soon though.

[berk]

I sold my bioshock too once i'd finished it, i got £25 for it, i should be able to pick it up for £10 - £15 once i decide to re-play it which will be when i get a high def tv

Edited March 6, 2008 by berk

[minute5072]

I sold my copy of bioshock when i completed it, wish i hadn't now, i'll probably buy it again soon though.

[Lithium05]

At the weekend I finally recaptured the spark when it comes to playing games.

I've managed to make it further through Mario Galaxy (up to 90 odd stars now) and started playing Uncharted on the PS3 last night (wow, this game is awesome ) and got about 2 1/2 hours into it. Also been playing a bit of Burnout and Rock Band in between

I'm waiting to get my 360 back from being repaired (3 red lights ) so I can finally make a start on Bioshock (and a few others I've got but didn't want to play while feeling a bit "meh" about games in general!)

[t8yman]

360 price drop inbound

c&p from eurogamer

Microsoft will officially lower the prices of all its Xbox 360 units in Europe from 14th March.

The biggest saving will be made on the Premium unit, which drops by GBP 50 (EUR 80) down to GBP 199.99 (EUR 269.99).

Elsewhere the Arcade model will become the cheapest new-generation model at GBP 159.99 (EUR 199.99), while the Elite will fall to GBP 259.99 (EUR 369.99). That's GBP 40 off the current price in both instances.

"Xbox 360 is now mass market in Europe," said Chris Lewis, bigwig at Microsoft Entertainment Europe. "We have reached and surpassed several key milestones that form part of our long term strategic plan to achieve critical mass in Europe; and our portfolio now offers the kind of mainstream entertainment experiences that secure wider appeal for Xbox 360.

[Lithium05]

360 price drop inbound

c&p from eurogamer

Microsoft will officially lower the prices of all its Xbox 360 units in Europe from 14th March.

The biggest saving will be made on the Premium unit, which drops by GBP 50 (EUR 80) down to GBP 199.99 (EUR 269.99).

Elsewhere the Arcade model will become the cheapest new-generation model at GBP 159.99 (EUR 199.99), while the Elite will fall to GBP 259.99 (EUR 369.99). That's GBP 40 off the current price in both instances.

"Xbox 360 is now mass market in Europe," said Chris Lewis, bigwig at Microsoft Entertainment Europe. "We have reached and surpassed several key milestones that form part of our long term strategic plan to achieve critical mass in Europe; and our portfolio now offers the kind of mainstream entertainment experiences that secure wider appeal for Xbox 360.

[t8yman]

Hmm, could be interesting that this is happening just before the release of GTA IV, thus potentially making the 360 the console of choice for any GTA fans without a next gen yet. Particularly with the lack of backwards compatibility on the PS3.

[Halcyon]

Holy crap... I've just been told that the downloadable content for mass effect was released last night.

To date, over 1.6 million gamers have explored the engaging sci-fi universe of Mass Effect. Beginning on March 10, fans everywhere will be able to expand the “Mass Effect” experience with the release of the first ever downloadable content for the award-winning saga.

The Bring Down the Sky downloadable content pack will be released to Xbox LIVE Marketplace on Monday, March 10 at 2 a.m. PST, and will be available for 400 MS points. This is the first in a series of planned downloadable content that further expands the Mass Effect universe and continues the adventures of Commander Shepard and the Normandy crew.

Bring Down the Sky includes a new uncharted world that introduces the notorious and feared alien race of the Batarians. A Batarian extremist group has hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only Commander Shepard can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent.

Bring Down the Sky contains approximately 90 minutes of heart-pounding action and a new Achievement worth 50 Gamerscore points.

[Lithium05]

Has anyone else had the 3 red lights recently?

How long did it take you to get your console back once you sent it off?

[t8yman]

Has anyone else had the 3 red lights recently?

How long did it take you to get your console back once you sent it off?

[Jaybles]

Hmm, could be interesting that this is happening just before the release of GTA IV, thus potentially making the 360 the console of choice for any GTA fans without a next gen yet. Particularly with the lack of backwards compatibility on the PS3.

[Huevos y Bacon]

The PS3 version of GTA4 seems to be outselling the 360 version on Amazon.