Is it me, or is the split screen feature slowly fading away from mainstream? I was reminiscing about the old days of the N64, where split screen was almost a standard for many N64 games. Getting together with your friends, popping in Goldeneye and taking turns battling it out with the loser with the least kills giving up the controller.
Soon falling suit was the PlayStation with its awkward boomerang multitap and the cult classic Dreamcast sporting the four ports on the front, then the Xbox, then the Gamecube, then the PS2 with its awkward block multitap. But it seems as if with the new generation, split screen is becoming a thing of the past.
Granted the current systems support up to four controllers (seven for the PS3, why is Sony so weird when it comes to this? I know it’s for bluetooth devices, but why the odd number?), but it seems as if everything is moving online.
Gone are the days where inviting your friends over for a four player game... More »
Agetec sends word that their PSP title, Fading Shadows, is now shipping across North America to retail stores everywhere.
Fading Shadows is a puzzle title where gamers control a rolling orb via a magical beam of light.
Official Release: Agetec, Inc. today announced that its newest PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system game, Fading Shadows, has shipped to retailers in North America. Fading Shadows is an invigorating puzzle game that has players guiding an orb out of the pits of hell and back to the Castle of Heaven.
Fading Shadows takes place in a mystical world consisting of two sides – the joyful side and the dark side. Aira and her brother Erwyn have lived their whole lives on the joyful side of the world. Everything changed when Master Gardal interrupted their peacefulness by capturing Erwyn. The reason behind the brutal capture revolves around an ancient prophecy declaring that if Gardal wants to breach the gates of the Castle of Heaven to o... More »
Nintendo Co Ltd’s (7974.OS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Wii game console once again outsold Sony Corp’s (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) PlayStation 3 in Japan in June, but its lead is fading, a game magazine publisher said.
Wii outsold the rival console by 1.7-to-1, making it the No1 game console for a seventh consecutive month, Enterbrain said, but that was well short of the 6-to-1 lead the Wii had in May.
The launch in June of Konami Corp’s (9766.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) highly anticipated ‘Metal Gear Solid 4’ for the PS3 helped stir demand for the Sony machine, the magazine said.
Nintendo sold 235,990 units of its Wii console in the five weeks ended June 29, while sales of the PS3 came to 139,494 units, Enterbrain said. Microsoft Corp’s (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Xbox 360 trails the pack, with sales of 10,964 units.
Despite its strong performance in June, the ... More »
This week's price cuts are too little too late to save the Xbox 360, says Nathan Taylor. The 360 glory days may be over, with only Fable 2 up its sleeve and Blu-Ray scoring wins for the PS3.
Microsoft has a lot to worry about these days. It’s frustrated by it’s inability to crack Google, or buy anybody else who might; people are hating Vista, and the life of Windows XP keeps getting extended; it’s actually having to compete with Linux on the desktop, and now on the mobile as well; and it’s console, once the market leader, seems to be slowly fading away.
Its latest announcement is clearly designed to stave off the latter. It may be too little too late, but Microsoft just announced a new round of price cuts for the Xbox 360, making the cheapest version of the console, the hard disk-less Arcade, $50 cheaper than the Wii.
It’s now just $349, half the price of the PlayStation 3, and some retailers are selling it for considerably les... More »
So, we got the new PS Store today... in short, it's lovely. From the little 'plinky' piano sound when it opens, to the nice fading page animations - it's a joy to navigate.
However, while navigating is a joy, Sony Europe have made their usual hash of things - their categorization completely sucks.
On the UK store the main categories are:
Latest
All Games
Game Add-Ons
Videos
PSP Games
Family Games
'other' media (what?!)
We recommend
This is just crazy... so if you're looking for a demo, you need to either go to latest, or if it's not there, look in all games - which are sorted into sub groups by genre, not title. Also, all PSOne games are mixed in with the genres... so if you want a PSone game you need to find it in the melange of other titles... is Sony Europe bonkers?
On the USA store:
New Releases
Downloadable Games
View All by Title
Add... More »
Twenty-five Things Every Gamer Should Do Before They Die:
1. Beat Portal
Finishing Valve's mind-bending strategy game is necessary for two reasons. 1. It's more compelling to find out on your own that the cake is, in fact, a lie. 2. "Still Alive" rocks.
2. Buy a dedicated MAME cabinet -- or build your own.
There's a guilty pleasure in owning your own arcade unit, so why not treat yourself to a MAME arcade cabinet? You get bonus points if you build your own, creating the ultimate Bubble Bobble machine, complete with dedicated Bub and Bob artwork.
3. Get into a press conference
Even if you're not a member of the video game industry, you owe it to yourself to try to get into some kind of press conference. It's an experience, and if you're lucky, you learn something amazing before the rest of the world does -- like the Gears of War 2 announcement at GDC.
4. Visit an arcade in Japan
You NEED to see Japan arcades. So... More »
Developer Ivolgamus has today announced details on a brand new puzzle title available exclusively for the PlayStation Portable; Fading Shadows.
Due for release in February 2008, Fading Shadows presents players with the task of ensuring the survival of a man named Erwyn, who’s prophesied death will allow an evil being known only as Gardal to walk freely through the gates to the Castle of Heaven; an ancient establishment built to ensure the safety of the world against the forces of darkness.
Utilizing a powerful beam of light in conjunction with the very orb that houses Erwyn’s soul, players must work their way through a series of missions by taking advantage of the orbs manipulative abilities, allowing you to change it into wood, metal or glass to overcome various obstacles.
Over 40 single player missions will be included along with a further 10 levels exclusive to multiplayer, as you explore locations including castles, abandoned cities, tre... More »
(6) 
