Games! Games! Games!

Sony is trying to change the security game with software upgrades (registration required).

In addition to just fixing bugs and holes, Sony also offers ‘attractive’ new features with higher firmware, such as Webbrowsing in v2.00+, LocationFree TV in v2.50+, vRSS feeds in 2.60+. The downside for users is that they must give up the homebrew capabilities on v1.50, which include console emulators [Gameboy/Color/Advance, NES, SNES, Sega Genesis etc], homebrew games and applications like a Wifi Radio and most infamously, Pirated PSP ISO launchers. These are all frowned upon by Sony, as they are illegal/Sony makes no money off of them, so newer firmwares have patched holes allowing these applications to work. This ‘updating firmware’ concept is so revolutionary, as Sony doesn’t need to churn out a new batch of PSP’s when exploits are found; they simply force users to update to play the newest games such as GTA.

If you blog about games, submit your post to Blog Carnival with the submit button at the top of the left column.

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Read more from this blogger: Hackers master Sony’s revolutionary security system?

Microsoft missed some Xbox 360 sales due to inadequate supplies this Christmas season.

I’ll be honest: hearing about Microsoft’s troubles with the XBOX360 puts a big smile on my face. As a Microsoft-hater and Nintendo fanboy, I think it’s my right to smile at their troubles, even if I’m over 21 and supposedly an “adult.”

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Read more from this blogger: Delicious Shortages

Some controversy about the model who appears in a PS3 advertisement.

I saw this picture from Kotaku.com. Rumors say that Sony would be using Japanese models for PS3 yet that model in the picture is Korean. I smell something fishy here.

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Read more from this blogger: Jeon Ji Hyun, PS3 Model???

Nintendo may be the big winner this Christmas in Japan.

Any Japanese readers care to share any insight on Microsoft’s problem here? Is Microsoft going to have to buy Nintendo to stand a chance?

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Read more from this blogger: No Christmas Miracle for Microsoft: Xbox 360 Flops in Japan - Sales Lower than the Original

Supply can't keep up with Xbox 360 demand.

Well it was not really ‘360 madness’, but I did notice something funny while I was Toys R’ Us today. While walking though the gaming section when a friend was debating on getting a gamecube or not (which I would like to mention that I was amazed that it looked like a lot of gamecube games were selling). I saw the Xbox 360 section, in which I kind of loved how there was a stack of about twenty or so Premium and Core boxes and the nice little piece of paper displaying “Xbox 360’s Sold Out”. I started to wonder if anybody grabbed one of the boxes ignoring the fact that they were for display only and the sold out sign, and tried to buy one or steal it.

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Read more from this blogger: 360 madness?

Wow!

I currently have 29 XBOX games. I only bought my XBOX 3 months ago. I have bought approximately 20 books in the last 2 weeks. Well, it shouldn't be so much of a problem now as Sarah has cut up my credit cards, since in WHSmiths the other day she only left me alone for five minutes before I had spent 30 quid on more books.

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Read more from this blogger: A Plan

Katamari Damacy is a good idea for your last minute shopping.

One of the Christmas presents I bought for my niece was a Playstation 2 game called Katamari Damacy. It’s an obscure title, about a year old. I haven’t played myself, but it sounded like the most infectiously original game I have ever heard of in a long time. And in a nice way to get people to buy it, it’s cheap. I got it for $19.99 at retail.

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Read more from this blogger: Katamari Damacy

We'll be hearing more about this:

If that’s true, the music industry - another purveyor of digital goods - could not have been very happy when bloggers last week began sharing screen grabs from a popular new Nintendo game, which includes, among its many characters, a guitar-toting puppy who seems to extol the virtues of file-sharing.

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Read more from this blogger: Video Games and the Record Industry

Interesting site devoted to portable gaming, including this comparison of the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP.

Unlike many of these types of features, it also discusses the secondary capabilities of the two handhelds as opposed to just the games available so it gives a fairly good overall comparison. Additionally, unlike many other features of this ilk, it does not lean one way or the other.

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Read more from this blogger: � Buyers Guide: DS vs PSP � Blog Archive � Portable Gaming Revolution

Nice write up on Xbox 360 functionality.

Despite those grumbles the infrastructure that has been put in place via Live and also the 360 software is very impressive - definitely the most advanced I’ve seen on a console (PSP is a close second). It gives the 360 a massive advantage over the PS3 if indeed the rumours are true and that Sony are leaving internet play down to each individual publisher.

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Read more from this blogger: 360 - Software and Connectivity

I agree that the new Nintendo Revolution controller is a bit awkward.

I’ve been quite interested in the Revolution for some time now, since I’m a huge Zelda fan. First big news a heard about it was the controller. It was a pad in one hand with an analog stick on it, whilst in the other you held a remote with buttons, a, b, etc. Well, that was rumour, but it came very close. Now it’s closer to release, Nintendo have showed the controller. It is a remote. An actual remote. I mean, how can it be comfy to hold? It would be so awkward if you were playing metroid prime and you needed to shoot someone and you couldn’t quite stretch your thumb far enough to reach the a button!

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Read more from this blogger: Nintendo Revolution Really a Revolution?

Click through for a link to an emulator that runs old Xbox games on the Xbox 360.

The most disappointing thing has been that i cannot play my old xBox games on it, though a little bit of research tonight means that I have found out how to fix the problem!

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Read more from this blogger: xBox 360 backwards compatability

Contrary to what you might be thinking, GeekBuddy Analysis is not a medical procedure. It looks like a great games rating system with a strange name.

This would have been a pretty short post, but while I was checking out the website hosting the store locator I found out that the author is Matthew Gray , one of the BGG admins. I read the Games section of his blog and stumbled across a post about BoardGameGeek Recommendations. I already knew about Geek ratings on games, and I have used “GeekBuddy Analysis” extensively for purchase advice; however, Matthew’s post was where I learned about the improved games rating page — very cool!

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Read more from this blogger: SonicChicken weblog � Blog Archive � Game store database and an improved games rating page