If you've got more than one next-gen system (or a PS2), there's no longer a need to be discreet about the insightly tangle of cables hidden behind your television. Working like the reverse of a console switchbox, XCM's new all-in-one component cables can be plugged into the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 simultaneously. A small toggle on the unit switches instantly between the consoles you have plugged in.
At a scant $29.99, you can buy it at Total Console .
Ouch, Sony! Covering you is like a never-ending roller coaster ride. Every time something awesome happens (new PSN releases), there's always another piece of news that brings us right back down. In this case, it's the fact that even PS3-compatible steering wheels will not be able to provide force feedback.
After Immersion forced Sony's hand, they axed rumble from the SIXAXIS (despite whatever other excuses they've had), but to kill wheels, too? 1UP.com pressed Sony on the issue with the response: "All PS3 games are programmed for the SIXAXIS which doesn't have force feedback, therefore the force feedback in the wheels won't be recognized."
Sucks for Gran Turismo fans who used the feedback to perfect their driving technique.
Though we can't replicate it here, the most recent issue of Japanese mag Famitsu has published a feature chock full of images from Gundam Musou, a match-made-in-heaven pairing of the seminal anime franchise and Dynasty Warriors' gameplay. As little as it has deviated over the years, the latter should nonetheless provide a tried-and-true foundation for Gundam considering games based upon it in the past (including the PS3 launch offering) haven ranked rather low in that department.
According to the article, you can expect large-scale battles both in space and on land with Gundams, Zakus, and other giant, iconic mechs littering the field. The Musou series' heavy layer of fog has also been lifted allowing for a sizable draw distance. Though the article prominently features characters from the original One Year War timeline, it is unknown whether or not this will comprise the entirety of the game.
Surprisingly enough, Gundam Musou is supposedly 70% complete and ready for release on the PS3 in the Spring (Japan).
According to those that have gained early access to Best Buy's circular, the ad starting from the 31st of December claims that the company's stores will be handing out tickets for Playstation 3s an hour before opening this coming Sunday.
The usual caveats apply – No Rainchecks, Limit 1 per person, etc. but each store is purported to receive a minimum of 25 60gig units a piece, meaning there will be plenty to go around if you make it there on time. Lines are unlikely to be as bad as they were at the system's launch, but it yet may be prudent to come the night before if you want to be guaranteed a system.
With somewhere around 750 stores, that's a whopping 20,000 or so PS3s shipping to stores in one day! Way to go Sony!
Some industrious fellows have completely repainted their Playstation 3's shell white and stuck it up on
. After realizing that their plain, black 60GB would no longer garner a significant profit on the infamous auction site, they decided that replicating one of Sony's
display models would get people's attention. And so far it has – to the tune of over $1800!
Though obviously not official, it does seem like a classy and well-made piece of work if you're interested in buying. Check out the entire process from start to finish here .
Downloadable content for consoles has brought with it a fully-realized anxiety once relegated only to (and long since accepted as the norm) computer gaming: patches. There's little worse than purchasing software and then realizing that you didn't get the full nine that you paid for, instead waiting (im)patiently for a fix that will make the game run properly. It's the bane of consumers and developers whose publishers rush a game out before it is truly finished.
Thankfully, Insomniac's first update to Resistance: Fall of Man is enough to quell fears about the patching with the next round of consoles. After turning out a solid, nearly-glitch free game for launch, they've gone the extra mile and addressed the complaints and wishes of fans. Not to mention, they've done it in only a month since the release date!
Here's a list of what's been changed:
Ranked Games
* Map size determined by the number of players in the game
* All maps available for ranked games
* Score limits for team deathmatch adjusted based on the number of players in a match
* Time limits added for all game types that were missing them
General
* Various bug fixes and formatting issues
* Fixed a rare issue where a player would become invisible to all other players in a match
* In Human vs Human or Chimera vs Chimera team games, all players on a team will show up as the same model to help distinguish between the teams.
* Added a barrier on Manchester, which was previously left out, to prevent players from leaving the playable area.
Character Sheet
* Return a Flag ribbon now displays properly. All Return a Flag ribbons earned prior to this patch will be restored.
* Multi Kill ribbon will now be tracked. Unfortunately, no Multi Kill ribbons earned before this patch can be restored.
* Target Bomber ribbon can now be achieved with the frag grenade as well as the hedgehog grenade
* You will now receive a system message when you earn a new rank.
* A player's rank will not be sometimes misrepresented as lower than it actually is.
* Wins/Losses are now displayed on the player stats.
* Changed the requirements to earn some of the medals on the character sheet.
* We have replaced the Skeleton skin with a new skin, the Mechanic. We've determined that the Skeleton is much smaller and more difficult to see on many levels than any of the other skins. The skins were never meant to give a gameplay advantage, but to offer you the chance to customize your character as you see fit, and we don't want people to be at a disadvantage because they didn't pick any one particular skin. Never fear, the skeleton may make a return at some later date, in some form or other.
Lobby
* You can now accept a party invite if you are in a game and the party you are joining is in the same game.
* The results screen will now automatically rejoin the game after 30 seconds instead of disconnecting from the game as it previously did.
* There is now an option to enable Map Vote for custom games. If this option is enabled, players may press triangle when they are on the results screen to vote on what map they wish to play next. This option is enabled by default.
* You can now create a deathmatch game with a time limit as the only end game condition.
* Fixed a bug where players joining a game in progress would sometimes be placed on the team that had more players instead of the team with less players.
Voice Chat
* Voice chat is now push-to-talk by default in team games as well as free-for-all games. The standard button is L3 and it can be remapped. Open mic is active only for squad chat when you choose to join a named squad. In that case you still use the push-to-talk button to broadcast to your entire team. Other places where open mic is active are when observing in a limited lives game and when you are in a party
* There is now an indicator in the lower right hand corner to let you know when you are transmitting on the microphone
Interface
* Players in a squad will now be given an additional option to spawn near their squad in CTF, Meltdown, and Breach.
* Player names that are longer than 11 characters will no longer be truncated if they have a clan tag enabled.
* The flag taken message will stay on the screen longer in CTF games
* Enemies are now represented as triangles on the radar and map.
* Buddies on your team will show up as green dots on the map and radar (if it is enabled)
* Squad members will show up as yellow dots on the map and radar (if it is enabled)
Balance and Tuning
* Chimeran rage damage multiplier has been reduced.
* Chimera at max heat will now only lose health until they are at 50% health instead of going all the way down to 1% health.
* Humans will now spawn with 1 frag grenade as well as the M5A2 Carbine
* Enemies will now show up on the Human map/radar if they are within radar range of ANYONE ON YOUR TEAM and only in the following circumstances: They are sprinting or in rage mode, they are firing/attacking, they are jumping, or they are within range of node radar (Breach)
* The L11-2 Dragon will now do extra damage to Chimeran players as was originally intended
* Most weapon damage values have been tweaked in the interest of balance. In general, weapons have been tweaked to deal slightly less damage.
* The spawn selection algorithm has been modified to make players spawn next to enemies less often, and to spawn near teammates and squadmates more often
* Moved the location of the flag in several CTF maps to help prevent stalemating
* Suicide will now increase the waiting time until a player respawns by 10 seconds in team games.
You can download the patch simply by accessing the lobby in Resistance's online multiplayer mode.
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