Phantasy Star Online US XBox Server Closure Notice

Posted By: JKKDARK

via PSO-World

On April 30th at 24:00 PST, the Phantasy Star Online Episode 1&2 Xbox servers will be permanently shutdown. For anyone who may have time remaining on their Hunters License, they will receive a pro-rated refund. Credit goes to Jonathan_F for bringing us this news.

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Stealth Quake v1.2 Released

Posted By: wraggster

News/release from Tyne

Version 1.2 of Stealth Quake has been released, this is more than likely the final release and is a major upgrade from previous versions which are no longer available; the changelog is below.

If you currently have v1.0/v1.1 of Stealth Quake installed you can get the PATCH here -
Darkplaces:
http://renegadec.digitalfunk.org/Qua...tealthDP12.rar
1.6 Megabytes

WinQuake:
http://renegadec.digitalfunk.org/Qua...tealthWQ12.rar
455 Kilobytes

Otherwise simply grab the full download here which has been patched already:
Darkplaces:
http://renegadec.digitalfunk.org/Qua.../StealthDP.rar
32 Megabytes

WinQuake:
http://renegadec.digitalfunk.org/Qua.../StealthWQ.rar
5 Megabytes

-------------------
VERSION 1.2 CHANGES
-------------------

- Image flashes no longer occur on non-lovecraftian creatures
- Updated findradius(); to searchradius(); in several instances
allowing the WinQuake and Darkplaces version to behave more alike
- Jump button no longer respawns player, only fire as told in death description
- Self-talk only occurs during idle time
- Proper death animation is now played when rock is selected
- Additional sound ques properly cleared on death
- More frags now indicate who died the most, or betrayed the team most (team kills)
- Sneaking speed is less framerate dependant
- Fixed restarting of a level even if a player is still alive
- Players entering a game with 0 lives left are now made observers instead of players
- Rare instance of player allowed to throw rocks / shoot the pistol while in camera mode fixed
- Camera is improved
- Players who are targetted by an enemy can no longer stealth kill that monster,
yet another player still can (thus allowing another player to save a friend)
this also mean you're not able to perform a running stealth kill (considered a
minor exploit)
- Stealth kill 'vision' widened, you must hit their back a bit more accurately now
- Brand new roaming AI, based on some of The Ascension of Vigil code as well as general AI improvements
- More sounds added to help the atmosphere
- Balance tweaks that help prevent speed running, as well as making more logical gameplay sense
- Fixed FOV not being reset when falling out of a Shamblers vision in certain circumstances
- The death music track now plays for observers
- Observers can now restart the round by pressing fire when everyone is dead and out of lives
- Wall tucking properly narrows a monsters vision cone making it even more effective than sneaking
- Fixed a bug where if a monster killed a player, they'd always move towards the player unless
distracted
- Kill command works, doesn't take away from the lives pool
- Crosshair turns off when walltucking and renables when not
- Upgraded models for the pistol and bullets
- If the player is killed by certain attacks they're now gibbed
- DP Only: Client side prediction is turned on when not sneaking, helps running away / lag

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Mednafenx-NES V9 Fix

Posted By: wraggster

A new version of MednafenX-NES, a NES Emulator for Xbox1, has been released:

This is a recompiled version of the latest mednafenx with a correction to a typo in the last release that disabled the ability to load custom palettes.

This version of mednafenx also includes the correct nes color palette. (this is enabled by default) You can always autogenerate your own palette or load your own palette. Included in this release is the old palette and the RGB palette. The RGB palette is colors that can be output by a svideo modded nes.

Compiled by madmab brought to you by XtecuterX73 and Madmab

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=647103

1 comments - Last Comment By Tyr

XNA boss talks up Zune game concepts

Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Microsoft has yet to announce European plans for the company's iPod competitor, Zune, but XNA boss Chris Satchell has told Eurogamer that proof-of-concept game development for the handheld media device is progressing very nicely.

"That touchpad is great," said Satchell, who demonstrated a basic Zune shoot-'em-up called Zauri at GDC in February. "I'm used to mobile games and it's always terrible. Not the games, but the input. And so this sort of blew me away."

"Imagine bowling, where you swing across it, or anything that requires a physical dexterity gesture," he added. Apparently someone even ported a "Wolfenstein-style renderer" to Zune, which ran at 30 frames-per-second and could be played with the Zune's portrait perspective screen turned on its side.

Another thing that excites Satchell at the moment is co-operative games played over Wi-Fi. "One of the things we talked about was the network play, and we've had people doing prototypes internally of multiplayer shoot-'em-ups both in versus and co-op," he said.

"I'm really looking forward to people using their networking ability to use peer-to-peer games," he added. "I'm sure we're going to see some peer-to-peer race games, kart-style games - those are going to be fun."

Mind you, all of this will depend on the next big XNA release for developers later this year, which is likely to happen in December. Hopefully by then we'll also be able to buy the handheld in Europe although, when we inquired, a Microsoft spokesperson told us: "We've made no announcements on that outside of the US."

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Zune VideoX: Microsoft's iTunes killer?

Posted By: wraggster

Zune Marketplace is no iTunes killer. But maybe Zune VideoX will (at least attempt to) be.
After recently hearing about Microsoft's grand entertainment-marketplace/service (codenamed eLive), now I'm getting word of yet another Microsoft entertainment marketplace, known currently as "Zune Video X" (for Video Experience).

Zune VideoX is not Zune Marketplace revisited, sources say. Instead, it is Microsoft's attempt to apply the lessons learned with the success of the Xbox Live Marketplace to the Zune market, said one source who asked not to be named. It would be a single hub where Zune users could buy and download music, videos, TV shows and more entertainment content.

Microsoft has been talking about building a unified entertainment marketplace for years. One such attempt was codenamed "Alexandria." Another is eLive, is supposedly a single, unified "entertainment marketplace" where consumers will be able to go to buy music, videogames, and other kinds of content that will work on Windows PCs, Xboxes, Zunes and Windows Mobile phones.

One of my sources believes eLive is dead and has been superseded by Zune VideoX.
"eLive was renamed and recrafted to Zune VideoX, and the eLive vision scaled down to focus on Zune," the source, who requested anonymity, said.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1341

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Limited Edition Joy Division Zune makes us dance, dance, dance to the radio

Posted By: wraggster

Listen to the silence, let it ring on. Microsoft is said to be releasing a limited edition, Joy Division Zune featuring an adaptation of Peter Saville's pulsating cover art from the band's Unknown Pleasures debut. The launch is meant to parallel the June 10th release of the Joy Division DVD and could, in one fell swoop, lift the Zune above its L-7 image. Then we could go on as though nothing was wrong and hide from these days we remained all alone.

P.S. That's our mockup of what we hope the Joy Division Zune will look like.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/18/l...dance-dance-t/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune getting Audible

Posted By: wraggster

No, not audible as in the ability to be heard from beneath the strain of a million screeching iPod fanboys. Rather, the Microsoft Zune is about to be Audible book capable. At least if you believe Paul Thurrott (which we do) and others who have received confirmation from Audible Amazon that the Zune will be AudibleReady "before years end." Of course, it's not official until Ballmer shouts it out in a sweat splashing rampage across stage... but it's close.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/21/z...tting-audible/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Red Zune 80 on its way to retail

Posted By: wraggster

Not unlike the early colorized versions of the original Zune before it, the red Zune 80 looks like it should finally be ready to make its un-tattooed retail sales debut . If you've been considering getting loud and/or proud with your next Zune, call ahead to your local gadget stock keeper and see if they're in.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/26/r...way-to-retail/

3 comments - Last Comment By masterchief929

Phantasy Star Online: US XBox Server Shutdown

Posted By: JKKDARK

via PSO-World

As reported by PSO-World member Cranberry, the US XBox Phantasy Star Online Episode 1&2 servers appear to have been shutdown a week early. XBox players have been unable to login since the last maintenance period on April 22nd. It is currently unknown whether users will receive a pro-rated refund for this early shutoff, on top of the one that was planned to be payed back.

0 comments - Last Comment By JKKDARK