All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

In some instances you can reduce baseball to a battle of wits between the pitcher and the batter.

In an Iwata Asks interview about the upcoming WarioWare DIY, Nintendo president and expert interviewer Satoru Iwata revealed a previously unknown codename for the system that would become the Nintendo DS: Iris. "Iris was the codename of a next-generation device we were exploring to succeed the Game Boy Advance-in other words, before development of the Nintendo DS," Iwata explained. "Eventually, it became a two-screen device with the codename Nitro, which went out into the world as the Nintendo DS. So, broadly speaking, Iris was the foundation for the Nintendo DS."

And surprisingly, Software Planning Development's Gorou Abe had been thinking about a WarioWare microgame creator since the DS was called Iris. WarioWare DIY has been a long time coming. Elsewhere in the (fascinating) interview, it's revealed that some of the included microgames were made by debuggers during the QA process, who made microgames as part of testing.

[Via Siliconera]

Perhaps the most significant complaint against early PSP games was about lengthy load times. Modern PSP games have largely alleviated this problem, sometimes with the help of a middleware solution from CRI called "File Majik Pro." If that sounds familiar, its because the same tech was made available for PS3 developers two years ago.

The tech allows developers to better compress files, and rearranges data in the most efficient way possible. It also offers the ability to install data onto the Memory Stick, for quicker loads on UMD-based games. Already, major PSP games have taken advantage of the tech, including Persona 3 Portable, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, and Valkyria Chronicles 2.

So, how will players be able to identify PSP games that take advantage of this technology? One way is to look for the "Criware" logo on the box. It's likely you've seen their logo load before a game -- and now you know what they do.

[Via Siliconera]

We've broken our system so you don't have to. See what the problem is right here.

There's nothing like launching a grenade up someone's pooper.

#sega Along with the requisite trailers, screenshots, and character bios, the new website for Sega's gun-toting role-playing game Resonance of Fate has a couple songs for you to add to your collection of video game music you hardly ever listen to. More »

Filed under: Podcasts We're sure that somewhere, someday, gamers will learn what a boycott actually is. Thankfully, that day is still far in the future, allowing us to bask in the hilarity. Also featured on the show this week: News, mail and gold medal fever. But mostly it's just us jawing about how incomprehensible the Sonic the Hedgehog 4 boycott is. Download it and nourish your earholes.

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
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[RSS MP3] Add the Xbox 360 Fanboy Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.

Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM), Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander), Xav de Matos (Snypz) and Dave Hinkle (KnifefightYaDad)

Produced by Richard Mitchell

Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. Break: "Something, Somewhere, Sometime" by Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore

For fans: Xbox 360 Fancast Facebook group
danie

Error 8001050F has brought the end of the world. Here's what you should do while you wait for death.

Don't get in the way of these guys.

If you were to ask us what to expect from most fast food joints, we'd probably tell you to look inside your garbage can and basically expect that -- but, y'know, inside of your stomach. We don't know; it's all the same pre-processed, assembly line garbage to us and we manage to successfully avoid it for the most part. But the Mega64 dudes instead find themselves in an almost perpetual, Groundhog Day-like loop when it comes to one particular establishment: Sonic.

Even though each trip usually makes the guys wish they never went in the first place, the thought of returning oddly enough fills them with hope that things will be different each and every time, only to suffer the grim realization again. It's such a departure for Mega64, but we can't help but feel like there's some kind of correlation to a current gaming news item in here -- so we thought we'd post this to see what you all think they're talking about. While we think on it, head past the break and check out the video.

#xboxlivearcade If you've suffered a bump on the head and forgotten your Xbox Live Arcade Block Party release schedule, here's a reminder that Toy Soldiers is your XBLA game of the week, a rare World War I-themed video game. More »

British retailer GAME remains cautious.

#dlc Nintendo's partnership with pop diva Beyoncé comes to fruition, as five new pieces from her and her mother's Deréon fashion line become available for download in Style Savvy for the Nintendo DS. More »

You may not be checking LittleBigPlanet for new levels as obsessively as you once were, but that doesn't mean that junior designers aren't still out there trying to perfect Super Mario Bros. 1-1 or trying to recreate the myth of Sisyphus. The game's community has just reached another big milestone: Two million available levels. It took them nine months to get the first million in late July of 2009, meaning that development isn't slowing down. In fact, it would appear to be speeding up.

It's inspired us to dust off our LittleBigPlanet disc and ... oh, wait.

Although it commanded a large presence at E3, Sony has been otherwise quiet about God of War III. With the game's release only weeks away, Sony has opened the floodgates, revealing new footage, highlighting new levels, and most importantly, advertising the game on TV. The European markets are treated to an ad which simply states "Revenge Starts Here." The ad doesn't need a gimmick: it simply relies on real-time footage of the game.

Check it out after the break.

[Via TheSixthAxis]

Looking to represent the Serans during the ongoing conflict with the Locust in Gears of War 2? Well, you've probably been playing the game, but if you insist on enlisting your Avatar in the ranks of the willing and able, Major Nelson reveals the COG armor (steroids not included) will only set you back 240 ($3) this week, while the helmet is a far more manageable 80 ($1). That's a savings of 75 and 50 percent off the normal price, respectively -- a sale that is valid until March 8.

Shortcut: Add Gears of War COG armor (male) to your queue [Xbox.com]
Shortcut: Add Gears of War COG armor (female) to your queue [Xbox.com]
Shortcut: Add Gears of War COG helmet (male) to your queue [Xbox.com]
Shortcut: Add Gears of War COG helmet (female) to your queue [Xbox.com]

Rockstar Games reveals first The Ballad of Gay Tony Screenshots.

A fresh look at the PSN whodunit.

I’m going to be a bit of feature-hog on this one. I say, if you’re only going to keep your eye on one other Wii game besides Red Steel 2 this month, please make it Fragile Dreams. I still can’t believe that we’re getting this game in the states. Don’t let it [...]

#starpower With star power at Kotaku comes the ability to create your own page here on Kotaku. I did it with our Lost Forum. Others have done it to create, well... that's the problem. Star commenters, let's try this... More »

Tropico 3 will have the Absolute Power expansion available this summer for PC, bringing some valuable tweaks for El Presidente to implement in the banana republic. The $20 expansion contains 10 new missions, several new buildings, "megalomania edicts," six new landmarks and the "Loyalist Faction," who will always stand by El Presidente no matter what silly decisions he makes.

The expansion's updates aren't just cosmetic, as there will apparently be new radio announcements hinting at daily life and "more icons displaying the status of buildings and displaying input/output storage numbers." Tropico 3 launched late last year as a fairly solid sim title with some niggling issues. Hopefully, the expansion will fix the minor points and Absolute Power won't corrupt the game absolutely.

Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima's recently-opened Twitter account has likely been a roller coaster of emotions for those among you who can read Japanese. Unfortunately for us, not speaking the developer's native language almost caused us to nearly miss out on all of his 140-character thoughts, not to mention a few recent Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker infobombs. Kojima said about the upcoming game (as translated by Andriasang) that "It's difficult to show the interest and freshness of PW [Peace Walker] through video. [James] Cameron's Avatar was a huge hit because of the 3D video. That can't be communicated through text and a trailer. It's something you won't understand unless you experience it for yourself in the theater."

Kojima further posits that Peace Walker is a "horizontal expansion" for the studio (read: gameplay) rather than a vertical one (read: graphics), all the while reiterating that the PSP isn't the "main platform" for the series going forward. He also says that the roast beef sandwich he had for lunch yesterday was positively delightful. (Okay, okay, we made up that last part.) He does, however, show some Duran Duran love. (And no, we're not kidding about that part.)

Concept art from Funcom's upcoming MMO.

#review After two underwhelming DLC extensions, Borderlands returns to the formula that made it a breakout hit last year - guns, loot, and a crack-cocaine addiction to leveling up - with The Secret Armory of General Knoxx. More »

#clips Three new videos provide nearly everything you need to know about the multiplayer of Splinter Cell: Conviction, from Deniable Ops side games and Persistent Elite Creation system to the co-op story mode. More »