terça-feira, 11 de março de 2008

Former Burnout producer: we need more women in gaming industry

Electronic Arts' Emily Newton-Dunn: more women should be making games - Image 1 


While more and more games are now being developed for girl gamers (mostly thanks to the Wii and the DS), we still can't deny that there's a gender imbalance when it comes to the video game population. The same is also true for the people behind the scenes.

When you think of men in the video game industry, the list can go on and on. There are Hideo Kojima, David Jaffe, Tomonobu Itagaki, and on and on. But when it comes to women in the industry, most would think of Jade Raymond, and then... blank.

This issue was addressed by Emily Newton-Dunn, a former producer of the Burnout series and is currently with EA, working on the Harry Potter series. Her thoughts can be summed up when she said: "it s crazy that we don t have more women making games."

At the Birds Eye View Film Festival in London, she was part of the panel of the Women in Games discussion. She remarks that there is a misconception that the games industry is "for males, and by males." Take note, ladies:

Personally I don t think you have to be a woman to make great games for women, but I think that sometimes women might bring a different sensibility to the table which will enhance or make games more appealing to women.


[...] Like in any other creative media the more diversity you can attract or the more you personally go out and do different things and see other stuff the more you re going to bring back to your job.


I think if games were only ever made by one type of person you d get really boring games. You need to bring in some different cultures, different people, different sexes and different interests, otherwise you re just going to be churning out the same stuff again and again.


There is also a financial aspect to this, which was discussed as the panel went on. By failing to fully tap into the market of female gamers, the industry is missing out on "a sizeable amount of revenue." To read more on the panel discussion, follow the link below.




Chart Track UK software charts: Army of Two takes first place

Chart Track UK software charts: Army of Two takes first place - Image 1 


Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games has been on top of the UK charts ever since December, bumped down only by a few notable releases. Last week is another one of those instances, with the release of Army of Two (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360).

Another newcomer on the charts this week (or should we call this a reentry?) is Bully: Scholarship Edition. Check out the rest of the UK software charts for the week of March 8, and we'll update you again next week (when Mario & Sonic's probably back on top - ha! who knows?):
  1. Army of Two
  2. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
  3. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training
  4. Bully: Scholarship Edition
  5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
  6. Frontlines: Fuel of War
  7. Game Party
  8. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Soulstorm
  9. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
  10. Lost: The Video Game
  11. Lost Odyssey
  12. Cooking Mama 2
  13. More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima
  14. FIFA 08
  15. The Sims 2: Freetime
  16. Carnival: Funfair Games
  17. FIFA Street 3
  18. MX vs ATV Untamed
  19. Dynasty Warriors 6
  20. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC)

Buy: [Army of Two (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Army of Two (PS3)]




EA Sports: three new original games, no plans to take Formula One

Todd Sitrin - EA Sports promises more new IP - Image 1 


Last month, Peter Moore announced that EA Sports is working on several new titles, including the latest installments to some of their franchises, including Madden. There have also been talks that the studio will acquire the license to Sony's Formula One label.

EA Sports' global marketing boss VP has confirmed that aside from the recently announced Facebreaker (PS3, 360, Wii), there are two new (still unannounced) original games in the works. That's as much as they revealed though. We'll keep you posted on updates. But knowing EA, some of you might assume that they're going to be multiplatform games.

Moore also responds to the rumors surrounding Formula One, saying that he's a big fan of the sport but EA Sports currently has no intention of acquiring the license to the game. He adds though, that it's a possibility that's open for the future:

The excitement that Lewis Hamilton has brought to the sport, and its vast global appeal, make it an appealing game licence, but as of right now it is not available.


Maybe in a few years the situation will change, but until then we fully respect the rights held by our partners at Sony.






Screenshot of new PlayStation Store surfaces: real or not?

PlayStation Store new - Image 1 


We've previously reported on the rumor on the Sony PlayStation Store possibly getting a makeover, and now we're getting a sneak peek on how it just may look like. Despite having the screenshot that we have right now (courtesy of Kotaku), we're still filing this one under Rumors for now.

This is because aside from the lack of official confirmation, there are just some little details that make the almost believable screenshot of the new PlayStation Store a little bit off.

Eagle-eyed readers managed to spot some minor inconsistencies in the screenshot, such as LittleBigPlanet spelled as "Little Big Planet," the PLAYSTATION Store header as simply "Playstation Store," and other minor details. See if you can spot them all!

However, even if it's just a fake, or a mock-up, the person behind this screenshot should be given kudos for the more streamlined look in this particular depiction of the Playstation Store. What do you think? Do hit the comments field to share your input.

Picture courtesy of Kotaku. Thanks to Extreme_Dude23 for the tip!




Target and Circuit City deals for week of March 16 - 22

Money! - Image 1For those of us looking to score some videogame-flavored joy - but don't quite have the funds to splurge then here comes the attack of the cheap, affordable deals coming direct from Circuit City and Target. And this is for the week of March 16 to March 22 of 2008.

Better get your calculators (and wallets) ready to crunch the numbers!

So, how are the pickings this week? Quite healthy, actually. While we've got the smattering of new, high-quality releases, there's also something for every kind of gamer in this deal bonanza, regardless of what console you own.

Here's the complete list of the deals from Target:

$16 Games(PS2):
  • Madden NFL 08
  • Thrillville
  • LEGO Star Wars II
  • Star Wars II: Battlefront
  • Transformers: The Game
  • MX vs. ATV: Untamed
$17 Games (DS):
  • Drawn To Life
  • Paw & Claws: Pet Resort
  • LEGO Star Wars II
  • Transformers: Autobots
  • Spider-man: Friend Or Foe?
  • Spongebob Squarepants: Atlantis Squarepantis
$39 Games:
  • Smackdown vs RAW 2008 (PS3 / 360 / Wii)
  • Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock (360)
  • Halo 3 (360)
  • Assassin s Creed (PS3 / 360)
  • Singstar 90 s (PS2)
  • Buzz: The Hollywood Quiz (PS2)
$59 Games:
  • MLB 08: The Show (PS3)
  • Major League Baseball 2K8 (PS3 / 360)
  • Lost Odyssey (360)
  • Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds (PS3)
Wii Games / Accessories:
  • Super Smash Brothers Brawl (US 49.99)
  • SEGA Superstars: Tennis (US 49.99)
  • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (US 49.99)
  • Carnival Games (US 39.99)
  • Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour (US 39.99)
  • Wii Gaming System (US 249.99)
Miscellaneous Games / Accessories:
  • Rock Band Special Edition Bundle (PS3 / 360, US 157)
  • Rock Band Bundles (PS2, US 159.99)
PC Games:
  • Jump Start Advanced: Toddlers  (US 17.99)
  • Paws & Claws: Pet Resort (US 17.99)
  • The SIMS 2: Free Time (US 27.99)
  • Cake Mania Deluxe (US 7.99)
Now, here's the deals from Circuit City:

New Releases:
  • Rainbow Six: VEGAS 2 (PS3/360, US$59.99)
  • Rainbow Six: VEGAS 2 Limited Edition (PS3/360, US 69.99)
  • Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii, US 49.99)
  • Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds (PS3, US 49.99)
  • Smackdown VS. RAW: Superstar Series 3 Game Pack (US 29.99)
  • Ninja Reflex (Wii, US 39.99)
  • Ninja Reflex (DS, US$29.99)
  • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring Of Fates (DS, US$39.99)
  • SEGA Superstars: Tennis (Wii, US$49.99)
  • SEGA Superstars: Tennis (DS, US 29.99)
NDS Games / Accessories:
  • Hannah Montana  (US 9.99)
  • Cooking Mama (US 9.99)
  • Brain Boost: Beta Wave (US 9.99)
  • The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody: Tip Tom Trouble (US 9.99)
  • Ratatouille (US 14.99)
  • Nintendo DS Lite Gaming System (US 129.99)
  • PSP Nintendo Character Game Cases For DS Lite (US 4.99)
  • BD&A Pen Stylus & Screen Protector 2 Pack For DS Lite (US 4.99)
PSP Games / Accessories:
  • Patapon (US 19.99)
  • MLB 08: The Show (US 29.99)
  • Sonic Rivals 2 (US 29.99)
  • Need For Speed: Pro Street (US 29.99)
  • The Simpsons Game (US 29.99)
  • Limited Edition Daxter PSP Entertainment Pack Bundle (US 199.99)
  • BD&A Screen Guards For PSP (US 4.99)
  • RDS Carrying Case For PSP (US 9.99)
Discounted titles:
  • Scooby Doo: Who s Watching Who? (NDS, US 11.24)
  • Life / Yahtzee / Payday 3 Game Pack (GBA, US 9.74)
  • Ford VS. Chevy (PS2, US 7.49)
  • Mah Jong Quest Expedition (NDS, US 11.24)
  • Art Of Fighting Anthology (PS2, US 7.49)
  • Fable (XBOX, US 7.49)
  • ATV Quad Frenzy (NDS, US 11.24)
  • M & M s: Break Em (NDS, US 11.24)
  • Jake Long: American Dragon Attack Of The Dark Dragon (NDS, US 11.24)
  • Corvette (PS2, US 7.49)
  • B-17: Fortress In The Sky (NDS, US 11.24)
  • Suzuki TT Superbikes (PS2, US 7.49)
  • Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk (PS2, US 7.49)
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All (NDS, US 11.24)
Miscellaneous Games:
  • Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock Bundle (PS2 / Wii, US 89.99 each)
  • Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock Bundle (PS3 / 360 US 99.99 each)
  • Rock Band Bundle (PS2 US 159.99)
  • Rock Band Bundle (PS3 / 360, US 169.99)
  • High School Musical: Sing It Bundle (Wii, US 49.99)
  • High School Musical: Sing It Bundle (PS2, US 39.99)
PC GAMES:
  • 2142 Battlefield: Deluxe Edition (US 17.99)
  • The SIMS 2: Free Time (US 17.99)
  • The SIMS 2: Deluxe (US 17.99)
  • Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War Soul Storm (US 27.99)
Definitely a meaty menu to pick from, eh? While we are all chomping at the bit at the new releases, there's also quite the low-cost gem to be found in the discounted titles. In any case, enjoy, and good hunting!




TetriAbetes v1.42

Tetriabetes - Image 1


For those of us who want some more Tetris action from Sony PlayStation Portable homebrew developer dragula96's take on the classic brick-dropping game, TetriAbetes for the PSP, then you're in luck as the next version is already out.

Featuring an updated build that lets you change your music folder, this is definitely not to be missed, even if you're sick of seeing the tetrominoes plummet their merry way into oblivion.

So, what's changed from the last version? Here's the changelog:

1.42 Changes - 3/10/2008
  • Added 3rd setting to ghost (wireframe)
  • Added ability to change mp3 music folder. Open "data/mp3folder.ini" file and
  • edit directory of choice, save file.
  • adjusted the drop speed after level change.
And like the last release, homebrew developer dragula96 has kindly made us two versions of this release, one for Firmware 1.50 and the other for 3.xx CFW. We've bundled both into one archive, so make sure you pick the right one to extract into your PSP. Enjoy!


Download: TetriAbetes v1.42
Visit: QJ.NET's PSP Development Forums




RacePSP: Neo Geo Pocket and Pocket Color emulator for the PSP

NeoGeo Pocket Color - Image 1 


Collectors of PSP emulators should get RacePSP, a new NeoGeo Pocket and NeoGeo Pocket Color emulator for the Sony PlayStation Portable that's still in its early stages. This was created by homebrew developer Flavor.

RacePSP  is actually short for Rather A Cardfighter Emulator that includes some codes taken from NeoPop_UK's own NeoGeo Pocket and Pocket Color emulator, NeoPop PSP. Since this is just the initial release, the homebrew developer warns that there may be some bugs.

The said issues may be noticed both in graphics and in audio, as well as in some NGPC ROMs running on RacePSP. Speaking of which, we'd like to inform you that we cannot host the package since it contains copyrighted materials.

For more information about RacePSP, you can check out the source link below.




Work in progress: MaxES shell for the PSP

Work in progress: MaxES shell for the PSP - Image 1 Work in progress: MaxES shell for the PSP - Image 2 Work in progress: MaxES shell for the PSP - Image 3 



The release of iR Shell 3.90 was a bittersweet moment for the PSP homebrew community, as it also signaled the retirement of developer Ahman. On the other hand, his departure from the scene has given an opportunity for for other aspiring coders to see if they can top his previous works.

One such case we're reporting on is the Maxy_PSP team, who dropped by the QJ.NET forums to announce the development of their very own PSP shell, dubbed MaxES. Maxy_PSP member PCoopD notes that it currently has these features (they haven't labelled the tabs yet):
  • Works on the PSP CFW 3.90 m33-2
  • First icon is filebrowser
  • second is configurator
  • last is power management (sleep, off, restart)
  • the others dont work yet
  • the filebrowser itself is in development and the functions in configurator works completely
  • added function : when usb cable is inserted, usb mode goes on, possibility to set usb off
PCoopD further states that their shell is still in a very early stage of development, meaning there won't be a release any time soon. Those interested in offering their suggestions to help MaxES' progress will want to visit its original discussion thread over at the QJ.NET PSP Development Forums. PCoopD will greatly appreciate any tips you've got.


Visit: QJ.NET PSP Development Forums