Valverde a Tope

Filed under: Telefonía

A estas alturas te estarás preguntando qué esquina recóndita del Storm todavía no conoces y aunque parezca mentira, te vamos a enseñar una: el BlackBerry Application Center. En la captura de arriba puedes ver la versión de Vodafone, pero no creemos que la del resto de operadores varíe demasiado.

El Application Center estará disponible en los Storm corriendo BlackBerry OS v4.7 y serán los propios operadores los que gestionen las descargas y actualizaciones. En una primera versión, la descarga estará gestionada únicamente por el navegador, lo que implica que el programa no podrá reiniciarse o descargarse de forma automática.

[Artículo en inglés]

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So what games currently in development aren't using UE3? I'm having problems naming them. The recently announced EA/Grasshopper Manufacture multi-platform horror game, which is being produced by Shinji Mikami and directed by Suda51, will now be using UE3, too. Does that mean the game will have an overabundance of bald space marines? Only time will tell I suppose. I'm still interested to know if Masafumi Takada will be doing the soundtrack or not. Full release after the jump!

Grasshopper Manufacture Licenses Unreal Engine 3

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

TOKYO, Oct. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ — Iconic Japanese developer Grasshopper Manufacture has licensed Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 for a new multiplatform action horror game to be published by Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq: ERTS). The new game is directed by innovative game designer Suda51 and produced by legendary Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami.

"Unreal Engine 3 is a powerful, easy-to-implement game engine that is helping the creative team at Grasshopper quickly bring our vision to life," said Goichi Suda, CEO of Grasshopper Manufacture. "The innovative tools and technology in Unreal Engine 3 help developers create games faster, easier and with less risk."

"It's an honor to work with Suda-san and Mikami-san on their next project," said Jay Wilbur, Vice president, Epic Games. "Grasshopper Manufacture is one of the most daring and innovative studios in the world, and we can't wait to see what they're able to do with Unreal Engine 3.

For more information about Grasshopper Manufacture, please visit http://www.grasshoppermanufacture.com

For more information about Epic Games, please visit http://www.epicgames.com

For more information about EA, please visit our press Web site at http://info.ea.com

About Grasshopper Manufacture Inc

Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. is an independent interactive entertainment studio based in Suginami-ku, Tokyo. The studio was founded in 1998 by CEO Goichi Suda, who is known around the world for his distinctive style and innovative work as a game designer and scenario writer. To date, Grasshopper Manufacture has shipped 11 titles, including 2007's breakout hit, "No More Heroes." More information about GhM can be found on the internet at http://www.grasshopper.co.jp/

About Epic Games

Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its Unreal series, most recently shipping Unreal Tournament 3 for PC, PLAYSTATION(R) and Xbox 360(R). Epic's breakthrough game, Gears of War, sold 5 million copies and won over 30 game of the year awards. The highly anticipated sequel, Gears of War 2, is scheduled for release on November 7, 2008. Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder and three-time consecutive winner of Game Developer magazine's Best Engine Front Line Award. Additional information about Epic can be obtained through the Epic Games Web site at http://www.epicgames.com .

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS Freestyle TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is http://www.ea.com . More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com .

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO are trademarks or registered trademark in the U.S. and/or other countries\ Epic, Epic Games, Unreal, Unreal Engine, Unreal Tournament and Gears of War are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Electronic Arts Inc.

We got not one, not two, but three Dragon Ball Z: Origins trailers to satisfy your needs. Luckily, you don't have to wait much longer. You can pick up the game for Nintendo DS November 4th. More videos after the jump.

Ever since the beta for Littlebigplanet hit, we've seen numerous level designs, some good, some not so good. From classic Mario remakes to re-imagining of the humongous spectacles found in Shadow of the Colossus. Heck, even Tristan is a game designer in the making. But simply from an engineering standpoint, I think this is by far and away the best yet. A user created a real-time working calculator that accurately adds and subtracts numbers. The level is said to use 610 magnetic swtiches, 500 wires, and 430 pistons. I didn't see what the big deal was until the camera panned up. That's when my mouth hit the floor.

Thanks to everyone, and I mean everyone, who sent this in!

Konami has announced a second expansion pack for Metal Gear Online. The pack, titled MEME Expansion, provides new content in the form of maps characters, skills, tournament lobby, and more. While no official release date or price was given, Konami says you can expect this to be available for download "later this year." Are any of you actually still playing this? Full release with pictures after the jump!

KONAMI ANNOUNCES METAL GEAR™ ONLINE'S SECOND EXPANSION PACK

EL SEGUNDO, CA - October 6, 2008 - Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced the second Metal Gear Online expansion pack - MEME Expansion — will be available for download later this year. Soon to be available through the Metal Gear Online shop, MEME Expansion will contain a vast amount of new content including new maps, special characters, new skills, tournament lobby and more.

Please find below further details on the new content in the expansion pack:

3 New Maps
- Silo Sunset - One of the most popular stages in the handheld Metal Gear Solid® Portable Ops has been renewed for the world of Metal Gear Online.
- Forest Firefight - Taken from Metal Gear Solid 3, this dense jungle gives players a new tense atmosphere with plenty of camouflage options.
- Winter Warehouse - An original stage created for Metal Gear Online, players will have to search for suitable cover, in and around, this dilapidated factory blanketed in snow.

2 New Special Characters
- Liquid Ocelot and Mei Ling

· Additional Rules and Settings - These can be selected without purchasing the second expansion pack

· Avatar Parts - Players can adorn their avatar with new accessories.

Condoms. Seriously, that’s what the Boingz look like: jelly-filled condoms.

I’m not sure that’s what Ninja Bee had in mind when they came up with the 2D puzzle platformer for WiiWare. I can tell that the game has more in common with Lemmings or LocoRoco than it does with the contraceptive aisle in a pharmacy. But I can’t help but think as I grasp the reservoir tip antenna of the little green, blue, red, and yellow guys that there might be a penis in there that’s about to get snapped when I let go.

But enough about condoms. Let’s talk about why you want this game. And you do, because if the Wii has any answer to LittleBigPlanet, Boingz is it.

You play a single Boing at a time, waddling your way through a world to wake your buddies up and get them into color-coded exit games. The Boingz lack arms to grab things and can only jump short distances – so you get by mostly by snapping or flicking them across the level. To do this, you aim the Wiimote at a Boing’s head, press and hold A to grab and pull as you drag the Wiimote in different directions to find the right release angle. Once you’ve lined up your red trajectory arrow, you let go of A and your Boing goes flying – bouncing off of surfaces or sliding over hard angles like a jelly-filled condom rubber band. The goal is to get every Boing into a gate, but if you want to be a little more hardcore, you can try a timed mode where you race against the clock to solve the puzzle.

I started out with one blue guy that I had to flick across a body of water. I aimed him straight across, so he bounced off a sleeping yellow guy on the other side. Now that he was awake, I switched to control the yellow guy by pointing at him and pressing A. I tried to rocket the yellow guy up to a ledge above him where his exit gate was waiting, but the ledge was too high and I fell in the water. Boingz float, so I had no trouble jumping out of the water and getting back to where I left the blue guy below the ledge. Switching back to the blu guy, I grabbed him by his head and stretched his body across the water, pinning his antenna to the ground by pressing B. I then swapped back to the yellow guy and had him stand on the blue guy that now made a bouncy bridge across the water. From this angle, I was able to make the flick up onto the platform where the exit gate waited.

But wait! There was still another Boing in the level - a sleeping green guy way up on the top-most ledge. I targeted the exit gate where I’d sent my yellow guy and pressed A to call him back out. Through a series of flicks, I got him up to an even higher platform, where he woke up a green guy. I used the green guy to knock down a rock from a ledge and then stapled the yellow guy’s head to it before plunging off the side of a cliff to fall back down to where the blue guy was still hanging out. We rolled off of him and I switched controls so I could unpin the blue guy’s head, opening up the way to the water. Switching back to yellow, I used the weight of the rock stuck to his head to go deep underwater and collect a series of power-ups, which gave my Boingz the ability to jump higher. Now, without the need for blue to act as a bridge, I was able to get the yellow guy back up to his gate, get the blue guy across another body of water to his gate and then switch back up to green and send him over the cliff to where the green gate was.

That probably doesn’t sound as awesome as it is. But hey, I thought Braid sounded pretty dumb when someone tried to describe it.

The bottom line is Boingz is a physics based game that feels really good to play; the exact kind of game we want on the Wii. There’s a sense of accomplishment as you work your way through the increasingly difficult puzzles; and the bright, friendly colors plus cute sound effects are only the icing on the cake.

Look for it on WiiWare hopefully by the end of this month (maybe early next month – it’s in certification, and that can drag on for a while).

Filed under: Periféricos

Si necesitas unos cuantos puertos USB adicionales en tu PS3, el Media Hub+ de Nyko es para ti. Sabemos que esperabas ahorrar un poco de dinero con la PlayStation 3 de 40GB, y este hub no te dejará en la bancarrota. Por 20 dólares obtienes 3 puertos USB y un lector de tarjetas de memoria. Barato, chiquito y conveniente, a buscar la tarjeta de crédito.

[Vía IGN]
[Artículo en inglés]

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Silicon Knights laid off 25 to 30 employees today.

An anonymous reader contacted us this afternoon to let us know the Canadian-based developer behind Too Human has let us know that about 10:30 a .m. today 25 to 30 employees were brought into the lecture theater inside the office and told they were being laid off.

"It seemed as though most of those laid off were people who had been hired to work for the company within the last year or so, however many had been heavily involved in the production of Too Human."

Reached for comment Monday Silicon Knights officials had this to say:

After any big game ships, there is often some attrition. Teams are lean and mean in the beginning, grow toward the end of the project, and then whittle down once the project is finished. To that end, Silicon Knights temporarily laid-off 26 employees today while they ramp up on other projects. All the company’s directors and leads are still at Silicon Knights and working on its next projects.

The slight cutback comes after four years of unprecedented growth for the St. Catharines’, Ontario (Canada) company, during which its headcount had expanded to more than 180 employees.

Denis Dyack, President and founder of the company, stated, “Silicon Knights is currently working on several new and exciting games that will be announced to the public in the coming months. In addition to those projects, Silicon Knights continues to develop and promote other new and original ideas, which will become the innovative games of tomorrow. These 26 individuals are hard-working and valued team members that we hope to bring back as we ramp up on our future projects.”

Silicon Knights laid off 25 to 30 employees today.

An anonymous reader contacted us this afternoon to let us know the Canadian-based developer behind Too Human has let us know that about 10:30 a .m. today 25 to 30 employees were brought into the lecture theater inside the office and told they were being laid off.

"It seemed as though most of those laid off were people who had been hired to work for the company within the last year or so, however many had been heavily involved in the production of Too Human."

Reached for comment Monday Silicon Knights officials had this to say:

After any big game ships, there is often some attrition. Teams are lean and mean in the beginning, grow toward the end of the project, and then whittle down once the project is finished. To that end, Silicon Knights temporarily laid-off 26 employees today while they ramp up on other projects. All the company’s directors and leads are still at Silicon Knights and working on its next projects.

The slight cutback comes after four years of unprecedented growth for the St. Catharines’, Ontario (Canada) company, during which its headcount had expanded to more than 180 employees.

Denis Dyack, President and founder of the company, stated, “Silicon Knights is currently working on several new and exciting games that will be announced to the public in the coming months. In addition to those projects, Silicon Knights continues to develop and promote other new and original ideas, which will become the innovative games of tomorrow. These 26 individuals are hard-working and valued team members that we hope to bring back as we ramp up on our future projects.”

Last time we checked in with High Voltage at PAX, they had only just gotten their hands on Wii MotionPlus. So I wasn’t too surprised to see that there really wasn’t much being done with it at the Nintendo Media Summit – but my proverbial socks were knocked off when I saw how much they’d done with the graphics in that short amount of time.

Less than two builds later, The Conduit looks worlds better. All of the graphics have been smoothed over thanks to new detail mapping, which also gets rid of those pesky blurring textures on walls and stuff. The lighting and colors have been tweaked so that a real sense of atmosphere comes through as you play. And we can finally see what the All Seeing Eye tool is supposed to do when you use it to search for hidden passages and enemies; something I didn’t get to try during my last whirlwind tour of the Wii FPS.

I started this demo somewhere underneath one of the government buildings in Washington (maybe the Pentagon). The long, dark corridors were moody and tense as orders were being given to me over an earpiece about where to go and who to shoot at. Gas-masked foes jumped out from behind crates and steel doorways, bringing on a rush of Time Crisis nostalgia as I gunned ‘em down.

I had to stop and fiddle with the motion controls a bit (mostly just to slow the turning speed). It was every bit as responsive and in-depth as I remembered, letting me set up the control scheme nearly any way I could think of. (I have a sneaking suspicion that The Conduit it would have worked out fine even without MotionPlus).

A “soft” targeting reticule was added to this build and there’s now an objective compass that tells you how far (and in which direction) your goal is. Facing a guy and holding down Z brings up a loose box around the enemy as well as a gauge that gives a rough estimate of his HP. Let go of Z and the reticule vanishes (that also seems to happen if the target gets too far out of range). So by “soft” reticule, High Voltage means you still have to work if you wanna shoot someone.

After finishing off or chasing away all of the gas mask guys, I came to what looked like a dead end and busted out the All Seeing Eye to look for a clue. I had to walk back along the corridor until I saw something flash on the wall and a yellow icon light up on screen. Using the All Seeing Eye, I triggered a secret lock that had me aligning semi-circles around an illuminati pyramid before a panel slid open to reveal a secret passage. At the end of the passage, a short cutscene showed one of the gas mask dudes getting disemboweled by an alien and then I was back to running through shadowy corridors, looking for more clues and more people to shoot.

Before, I compared this game to Turok. What I meant by that was, The Conduit evoked the marvelous feeling that Nintendo FPS games can hold their own against anything Sony comes up with (which I used to believe back when I was 13). I may be more jaded now (and a proud PS3 owner), but I honestly think when I look at The Conduit that I am looking at one of the best shooters anyone could ask for on any console.

Even better is the idea of multiplayer. No one’s gotten a look at this yet, but we have heard that WiiSpeak is being incorporated into this part of the game. Even if it weren’t, I’d still be stoked for multiplayer because if campaign mode is any indicator, The Conduit multiplayer stands to be the next GoldenEye. Which means two of my favorite N64 shooters will have been reenacted. Which means my wallet will be lighter. How about yours?