After the secret source code for its then-unreleased shooter Half Life 2 showed up on file sharing services in 2003, game-maker Valve Software cooked up an elaborate ruse with the FBI targeting the German hacker suspected in the leak, even setting up a fake job interview in an effort to lure him to the United States for arrest.
The gambit ultimately failed, and Axel "Ago" Gembe remained safely in Germany. He was indicted last month in Los Angeles on new charges of creating the Agobot malware, and sharing it with a crew of U.S. hackers who used it to stage denial-of-service attacks in 2003.
In September 2003, the source code for the much-anticipated Half Life 2 game turned up online, and Valve's managing director, Gabe Newell, revealed that the company's network had been breached. In a post to the company's Web forum, Newell asked for gamer's assistance in finding the hackers responsible.
"If you have information about ... the infiltratio... More »
So after weighing in on Resistance 2, it started to dawn on us: is this now the franchise to beat in the FPS genre? And with the impending Killzone 2, is the PlayStation 3 now home to the best FPS experiences on the planet?
Typically, Microsoft has been responsible for the best FPS experiences ever since the original Xbox launched way back in 2001 with Halo. Even multiplatform FPSs have been better on a Microsoft console, although we believe that trend will soon fade in this generation.
Earlier, developers simply didn't have a good handle on the PlayStation 3, but now, things are starting to come together and it appears it's Sony's machine that has the best to offer in the FPS genre. Xbox 360 loyalists will consistently turn to Halo 3, but although I am a big fan of that trilogy, the fact of the matter is that Resistance 2 is better.
Insomniac's initial effort, as good as it was, may not have been a "Halo killer," but the sequel most certainly ... More »
PomPom Games has revealed a PSN shoot-em-up called Astro Tripper. Once again, this is a retro-styled arcade game in the style of other horizontal side-scrolling shooters.
According to the official site, the game will promise "UFOS. Fat Motherships. Tanks. Choppers. Slimy Slug creatures. Alien Insects. Aztec structures brimming with electricity. And of course, Big Bosses!"
This PSN release is scheduled to release "soon", and will feature 1080p graphics, online leaderboards, and Trophy support.
From their site: Astro Tripper is a furious shoot-em-up experience inspired by the painful, knuckle busting experiences of years gone by. An evolution of PomPom's 2001 award winning game, Space Tripper.
Travel the surface of large horizontally-scrolling platforms, and pit your highly maneuverable craft against hoards of enemies eager to blow you to bits, eat you or worse.
On Friday, Microsoft gave computer makers a six-month extension for offering Windows XP on newly-shipped PCs. While this doesn’t impact enterprise IT — because volume licensing agreements will allow IT to keep installing Windows XP for many years to come — the move is another symbolic nail in Vista’s coffin.
The public reputation of Windows Vista is in shambles, as Microsoft itself tacitly acknowledged in its Mojave ad campaign.
IT departments are largely ignoring Vista. In June (18 months after Vista’s launch), Forrester Research reported that just 8.8% of enterprise PCs worldwide were running Vista. Meanwhile, Microsoft appears to have put Windows 7 on an accelerated schedule that could see it released in 2010. That will provide IT departments with all the justification they need to simply skip Vista and wait to eventually standardize on Windows 7 as the next OS for business.
In an interesting development that may de-value it's own PS3, Sony is focusing on more user-friendly price points to promote its two new Blu-ray Disc players.
The new models, showcased at a Sony event today, are aimed at current DVD and HDTV users who have previously been priced out of the market.
Sony technology communications manager Paul Colley explained that the new Blu-ray strategy is heavily influenced by history, with the Sony looking to replicate the whirlwind take-up of DVD. Colley noted that DVD players didn’t explode in popularity until the players were able to reach a price point more agreeable with everyday consumers.
This was back in December 2001, when the price point for DVD players came down to around the $400 mark. In was at this time that DVD players finally overcame various competing formats to become the number one choice for movie playback in Australia. Sony hasn’t been able to get its prices that low, but they h... More »
Hideo Kojima did previously say that MGS2 would be the last one he would work on, then it was MGS3 and most recently MGS4.
However, perhaps MGS4 wasn't his last as he noted "but when I said it's a difficult question to answer, I mean that when we look ten years into the future, maybe yes, I may well end up spending more time on the Metal Gear series!"
To quote from the Kikizo interview:
Kikizo: With the greatest respect, you told us in 2001 that Metal Gear Solid 2 would be the last MGS title you would work on yourself. You said the same about MGS3, and you are now saying the same about MGS4. Obviously, this is a series that you love and are extremely close to - can you really see yourself - say after another ten years - not having directed a fifth game with a new story angle?
Kojima: [Laughs and nods, as if to acknowledge our point]. Well, that's a difficult question to answer! I say frankly, on a private level, that I alway... More »
Kotaku have tracked down a comparison held between the PSP 2001 and PSP 3000. Now the original site was in a foreign language (my ignorance narrows it down to Taiwanese or Klingon) so the information will be presented here in pictures.
And that's all we need really, isn't it? The feature list for the new version is a little thin.
The below left photo I believe shows the screens anti-glare ability... Yup, the 3000 is the less glary. On the right is the update that will make sure you take the correct one out with you, the expansion and chroming of the ring on the back.
Finally, under them is the case makeover you were waiting for...
Microsoft Game Studios and Havok have signed a perpetual licensing agreement for the latter's Physics, Animation and Behavior products, plus future products, to be used across all Microsoft internal studios and development partners worldwide.
Described as a 'unique deal', the agreement follows on from a long-running relationship between Microsoft and Havok. Havok has been used in several Microsoft triple A titles including Halo 3, Halo 2, Scene It? Lights Camera Action, and Age of Empires III. Microsoft has been licensing Havok products since 2001.
And a number of its upcoming titles currently in development are using Havok products. These include Fable 2, Halo Wars, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, and a number of additional games.
“Microsoft Game Studios is proud to have committed to a long term partnership with Havok.
As a leading Publisher, our mission is to deliver the highest quality Xbox 360 & Windows gaming experience ... More »
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