French coders known as the BlackDevs Team (composed of Darkside, Zer01ne, and Spimort) have released an alpha version for their 0x584d42 XMB alternative project.
Note that this version is still in alpha, and was released to the public more as a proof-of-concept than anything else. For now though, the XMB's functionalities encompass Recovery, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, and Network.
There are two versions released by the team, one for Time Machine v3.40 (Phat), and another for Despartar Cementerio 7 v4.01 (Phat, Slim). The readme in both archives are included.. enjoy!
Many users live with boot problems or re-install Windows and start again, but there is a better way. If you learn what happens during the boot process then you'll be able to diagnose and fix any issues that might arise.
The BIOS
The boot starts with your PC's BIOS, which grabs its settings from CMOS RAM before initialising your video adaptor and any expansion cards. A Power On Self Test does basic hardware checks, tests your RAM if required and usually delivers a single beep to indicate that everything is working.
If there's a problem at this point then the BIOS will display an error message or issue a number of beeps; check your motherboard manual to figure out what they might mean. If it's accessible, launch your BIOS setup program to confirm that no settings have been changed. If they have, this could mean that your motherboard's CMOS battery has failed, in which case you'll need a replacement.
This man wants you to know his name. He is the face of Gears of War and its creator Epic Games and is clearly the most gregarious of the new breed of developers that are taking video gaming to the masses.
Call him Cliffy B, call him Dude Huge, or call him Mr. Bleszinski, he has something to say and he want you to hear it. So read on as we discuss everything from the secrets of great game design to the Gears of War movie, chat about the Xbox 720, the PS3, Gears of War 3, Marcus Fenix starring in a platform game and even discover what weapon he uses to pick up chicks!
Chris Stead: We’ve played the first Act of Gears of War 2 – everything is bigger, meaner and prettier. Does it all come down to the middleware?
Cliff Bleszinski: I think it comes down to having an extraordinary team. It is a combination of that and having the best tools in the business that enable our designers to rapidly prototype. Lee Perry, our senior gameplay de... More »
Black Box has confirmed that the PS3 will be the lead format for Skate 2, due to criticisms levelled at its predecessor.
Speaking to GAMER.tm recently, Black Box producer Jason DeLong confirmed that the PS3 version of Skate 2 would be the lead version of the game, after the PS3 version of Skate 1 was criticised for not being as good as its 360 counterpart.
“The PS3 has been our lead platform,” DeLong confirmed. According to DeLong, this was due to “the PS3 version Skate not being as good as the 360 version,” adding that it “was something we learned very quickly that we had to remedy on the second one.”
Despite this, DeLong reckons gamers will be hard pushed to tell the difference. On the topic of whether there’ll be any noticeable differences between the two versions, DeLong said “not so much.”
“We’re definitely been developing [both versions] in parity. The goal is that if you put both versions side-by-si... More »
The new Xbox 360 Dashboard OS update is coming soon and it is going to be one of the biggest changes to the Xbox 360 since the system hit the market.
It is going to include the first complete redesign of the Xbox interface called the NXE by all the cool kids. The New Xbox Experience (NXE) is going to be the best thing to hit the Xbox and it is going to completely redefine how we use it.
One of the niftiest things at Penny Arcade Expo 08 was seeing the new Xbox dashboard. Xbox Live's own Major Nelson showed it off. He made sure to stress that it is still a work in progress and that there was an army of programmers over in Redmond that were cranking out code and testing it as he gave the demo.
As a side note if you ever go to a game expo or press event and Major Nelson asks you not to film something in the presentation and you do it anyway and then go on and keep on filming after he notices you and calls you out and you don't stop it then y... More »
Hitachi has announced anti-counterfeiting functionalities on memory chips without microprocessor such as memory cards, tickets or cartridges.
The Japanese company announced today the development of a mechanism for attesting the authenticity of memory chips using highly secure digital signatures.
Since the mechanism requires neither a CPU nor a computational unit, high security can be attained at a very low cost. As a result, counterfeited or altered memory devices can be recognized as such, with a wide range of applications, including memory cards for digital cameras or handheld video game consoles, cartridges for consumer products, admission tickets or gift coupons.
In order to establish that digital contents are authentic and have not been tampered with, digital signatures usually involve cost-intensive computations and require an important processing power. For instance, in some scheme... More »
The Official PlayStation (UK) Magazine has published one of the first ever reviews on the PS3, and as expected it truly turns the tide and makes PES the soccer franchise with something to seriously prove.
Spallen of GameTrailers (linked above) has posted, but now removed, the scan of their FIFA 09 review in the OPM UK magazine.
They note that EA has taken the criticisms on board, and while FIFA 09 was always presented better, it now plays better... and to quote of FIFA 09: "brilliant, overflowing with new features".
Overall it received a gold award, and a score of 9/10.
Gizmodo has posted a list of 10 things they still are seeking in PS3 Firmware. To quote:
10) Smarter Firmware Updates
Let me agree to terms and conditions—a tiny 1K file transfer—before downloading the whole software update. Then once the update downloads it can roll into an install without me having to push some stupid buttons on the controller.
9) Automatic Downloaded-Game Installation
We're really still manually installing most game and demo downloads? Seriously? No, seriously?
8) Real Keyboard Support
The PS3 "supports" a mouse and keyboard. But keyboard support is still not functional or assignable in most games. Some middleware solutions would be nice here, Sony. I should be able to play anything on a mouse and keyboard by mapping SIXAXIS/DualShock3 buttons.
7) In-Game Web Browsing
OK, so here's an instance where we can access the XMB while in a game, but we can't r... More »
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