New release for the Xbox Homebrew Scene of the Mario Deathmatch game, heres whats new:
- Animated lava and water tiles
- 20% chance of a held spiked shell dies when hitting another player
- Hammers are fired from a better position relative to the player
- Fixed Screen shake POW bug
- Fixes to AI to deal with podobos, bowser fire and new stuff
- Fixed gfx bug when switching places with mystery mushroom while holding an item
- Menu option to turn off/on secret moves
- More than 20 Secret April Fools Features. Here are some hints:
* Some features are special moves for players based on what powerup they have or what they are carrying
* Some are new items and powerups
* Some are tweaks to existing features
* and some things don't fall into any of these categories...
- There is a contest at http://forum.72dpiarmy.com to see who can unlock the most hidden features
* Contest winner gets special forum status and badge on splash screen for next release of SMW!
* So keep checking the forums for the latest codes and unlocked features!
In light of yesterday's rumors about Zune 2.0, I'd remembered an anon tip that came in two weeks ago along with this puzzling photograph of a Zune with an approximate 16:9 wide screen. (Compare that to ye old Zune 1.0's screen) I dismissed it then, but now, it makes a little more sense with all this talk of a screen covering 75% of the surface. We're not ones to say if its real or fake. The angle at which the photo is taken would make it harder to hack for an amateur Pchopper. But you can see some strange pixelation on the right side of the screen that looks like someone took a retouching tool to it, and there appears to be a seam higher up on the LCD. It's hard to tell at this resolution. The rest of the email verifies last night's rumor, except for the fact that this 16:9 Zune is sized like the HDD Zune. The info gathered by Zune Scene from a Microsoft employee claims that only the flash Zune had the wider screen. Keep those tips coming, friends. We can't report this one without good sources.
And please remember, these are all rumors. Nothing's official until Microsoft says it is. So don't let your hopes go wild. Steady as she goes.
Auto Installer Delux 4.0
Welcome to the latest release of Auto-Installer Deluxe, the All-In-One solution for your Xbox Console. You will need your Xbox to be Modded in order to use this DVD, either by a Modchip, or a Softmod (for example Softmod Installer Deluxe v5.0 which is included with this package.
Not only does it come with the latest up-to-date software, it also has some new features, like a Rom Installer. Due to legal reasons we can not distribute any with this package, but full documentation has been included in the Auto-Installer Deluxe Manual on how to make your own Romsets.
Softmod Installer Deluxe v5.0 is also built into this DVD, so if you have an older Softmod on your Xbox and wish to upgrade, this is not a problem (just remember to unmount any Virtual C Drives first before installing the SID 5 system).
The Addon packs for this version contain all the latest XBMC Skins (Project Mayhem, MC360, xTV, Vision, CEOMR etc), as well as all the latest XBMC Scripts. Even though I haven't specifically made this installer just for XBMC, it is what I have put most of my focus on for this release.
I hope you all enjoy this nice release.
Changes Since v3.10:
* Included a Rom Installer so you can install your romsets alongside the Emulators.
* Removed DHCP functionality from the installer. It is all done now via the Addon Pack which updates the files needed for everything to work and install for DHCP.
* Made multiple skinpacks for XBMC (Normal, Project Mayhem, MC360) so you can now choose what you want and don't want on your disc.
* Cleaned up the disc structure.
* LOTS of Bug fixes.
Software Updates since v3.10:
* DOSXbox 12
* Dvd2Xbox 0.7.8
* FBAxxx 2007-01-28
* FBAxxx Pro 1.28
* Softmod Installer Deluxe 5
* Xbox Media Center 2007-04-08
* ZsnexBox 3.0 Final
Softmod Installer Delux 5.0 Release Notes:
Welcome to the last version of Softmod Installer Deluxe.
This is basically a combination of SID 3.1 and 4.5 in what it does, however the PBL (Phoenix BIOS Loader) Softmod method has been removed and only uses NKPatcher 11.
You can only install the EvolutionX and UnleashX Dashboard from this (due to the size of the 8mb Memory Card limit), however after you Softmod your Xbox you can proceed to use Auto-Installer Deluxe to install another Dashboard (Xbox Media Center for example) and the rest of the Applications and/or Emulators you want.
Enjoy this release.
Due to legal reasons the downloads can not be posted(lots of XDK compiled files). I'm sure that those who want it can head on over to Xbox-hq and see if a link is there.
And even more Halo news! Marvel.com has updated their comics listings with details on the new ongoing Halo comic book, Halo: Uprising, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Alex Maleev. Included on the page is possible cover art (seen right, hit up the link for a larger version), as well as a brief summary of the plot of the book.
Picking up from the conclusion of blockbuster video game Halo 2, the must-read issue reveals how the Master Chief, while onboard a hostile ship headed towards Earth, is battling against Covenant forces! Intertwined with Master Chief's interstellar one-man-war is the saga of a great American city's rebellion and downfall, two disparate lives' collision and shared fate, and the Covenant's hunt for an ancient relic of untold power and value. With hope dwindling and the fate of humanity hanging by a thread, is there any chance for a future?
While it might sound generic, this is Brian Michael Bendis, the guy Marvel uses when they want to make something interesting. He is the man.
The first issue will retail for $3.99 and will hit store shelves on July 18th.
You don't have to look far to see that the Zune rumor mill has been workin' overtime of late, and while the only conclusive pieces we're seen thus far involve various shades of red, Digital NARM could potentially shed some much-needed light on a bevy of questions. According to the docket, Christina Calio is set to speak about "hot new stuff" in regard to Microsoft's Zune for half an hour on May 1st. Interestingly, ClicZune has it that her speech title previously boasted about "exciting updates on developments in Microsoft's new innovative device," but unless our weary eyes have seriously deceived us, that little diddy has since vanished. Still, any latent updates shouldn't come as a surprise considering the position the player is in, but it looks like we're stuck waiting a few more days to find out what Christina's schpeel will reveal.
For years, rapper Snoop Dogg has made no secret of his love for games. In 2003, he appeared in the popular True Crime: Streets of LA (PC, Xbox, GameCube, PlaySation 2). In 2004, he hosted the SpikeTV Video Game Awards. In 2006, he helped found the Hip-Hop Gaming League, and was supposed to star in Fear & Respect (pictured), a now-canceled Grand Theft Auto-style crime game from Midway.
Now, in 2007, Snoop and games have come together again, with less than spectacular results. The New York Post's Page Six gossip column is reporting that the oft-arrested rapper was recently paid $150,000 to appear at a benefit for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
While said fee paid is a princely sum to most, it apparently was not enough for Snoop, whose real name is Calvin Broadus. According to the Post, in addition to other accommodations for himself and his entourage, the hip-hop artist "insisted on having an Xbox in his dressing room," according to an "insider" contacted by the newspaper.
When an Xbox could not be produced, Snoop refused to take the stage, prompting an event planner to borrow one from their children. Once the Xbox was put in Snoop's dressing room, he began playing it and "smoking dope," apparently enjoying himself so much he didn't take to the UNICEF event stage until an hour after he was originally scheduled.
Complicated Microsoft patents that have just emerged on the great ship internet are being linked by speculators to functions of a new Xbox.
But it's not quite clear what this patent is for, though it uses the Xbox as an example of a "gaming device". Apparently, it's some sort of product that can talk to any number of handheld devices from PDAs to mobile phones, though for what purpose remains to be seen.
The patent reads as follows (prep your dictionaries):
"A gaming system including handheld devices and console devices has variable functionality and processing performance as determined by the number of components in the system. Gaming components can be combined wirelessly, by wired connections (e.g., via a docking station), or a combination thereof."
"The processing capabilities and functionality of each gaming component in a combination are augmented by the processing capabilities and functionality of other gaming components in the combination.
"To take advantage of another gaming components processing capabilities and memory capacity, each gaming component is capable of utilizing another gaming component to process gaming applications. Further, each gaming component is capable of rendering audio and/or video information provided by another gaming component."
We haven't a clue what it means, but there's further speculation that this could mean using a Microsoft Zune dock for sound effects while your phone acts as a controller. Sounds a bit rubbish to us.
Not that this would be the first time an exec was caught lying through his teeth about future products, but for the time being Ballmer is sticking to the idea their won't be a Zune phone coming from Microsoft.
Interestingly enough, he does say that they could toss Zune (And Xbox) functionality into Windows Mobile. Sneaky, Sneaky. I guess they'll just let the phone manufacturers assume the risk, while reaping the rewards.
Microsoft has announced its earnings for its Q3 fiscal year and the Entertainment and Devices division has again failed to make a profit, seeing a $315 million operating loss.
E&DD contains not only Xbox but the Zune music player, Games for Windows and Microsoft's new IPTV offerings, among others. However, MS says that Xbox sales "generates the majority of hardware revenue" for the division.
The £315 loss doesn't look so bad when you compare it to last year, where the division showed a $402 million loss. It should also be noted that Microsoft overall saw revenue of $14.4 billion, which is quite good.
Microsoft says it's now shipped 11 million Xbox 360s worldwide and 500,000 of those went out during the first three months of this year. That's down from last year where the company managed to send out 1.7 million consoles - though it was trying to replenish stock after that infamous hardware drought.
In summary Xbox is losing less money, Microsoft is making lots and there's less than a month until the Halo 3 beta (!).
