The 2010 Tokyo Game Show, set to happen on September 16-19th, with the last two days typically set aside for public perusual and the first two days set aside for business-only announcements and closed to the public, will bear witness to Gamania showing off eight new titles. Never heard of Gamania? Time to up your game then.

Gamania Digital Entertainment announces that it will showcase their latest research and development (R&D) expansion and much anticipated second generation product lines at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2010. Among nearly 150 participating global companies, Gamania will have significant presence with one of the top ten largest booths, alongside other headline names such as Microsoft, Sony, and Square Enix. During the 2010 Tokyo Game Show, Gamania will be showing eight distinctive in-house products, while also exhibiting other works of entertainment, such as animation, web games, and mobile titles, heralding in Gamania’s “Universe of Fun”.

Gamania is behind certain games that will invariably come out in the US, like the popular cartoon show Hero 108 for the Apple iPhone and Facebook games, but while Gamania is huge in Hong Kong, they are lesser known in the US. Games like Reign of Assassins, based on the upcoming Chinese movie of the same name, infuse art and gameplay that translates well to us gamers and Core Blaze, based on the Unreal 3 Engine both look enticing to my western eyes. And that’s just a few of their offerings.

In simpler terms, let’s just hope that the games end up in European and North American markets soon enough too.

[ Links: TGS 2010, Gamania ]

A company, creatively named PS Jailbreak, has come out with what’s called the first USB based jailbreak/hack to allow for the Sony PlayStation 3 “fat” and slim models.

PS Jailbreak is a USB plug and play solution that installs in seconds, keeping your valid warranty seal in tact.

Easy to use installer and GUI takes you step-by-step.

Compatible with all production models “fat” and slim PS3. Supports all regions: USA, JAP, PAL and KOREA

PS Jailbreak disables forced software updates and will never brick your console.

Supports all games (it does not allow backups of Blu-Ray movies, DVD movies, or past consoles games)

Backup games to your internal hard drive or external hard drive through USB and boot directly off GUI. Eliminating the need for expensive Blu-Ray burners and costly blank media.

Play backups off your hard drives 2X as fast as off the Blu-Ray drive. This eliminates lags and glitches to provide you with smoother game play.

Open up your console to a new generation of homebrew applications. Load homebrew apps/games off any USB hard drive/flash drive.

Fully updateable with new features/updates by connecting PS Jailbreak to any computers USB port.

I remember products like this being shown about for the Japanese PlayStation 2, which never came out if I remember correctly. This USB based hack, which promises to work with all existing games, will allow for downloading, backup and installing games to the hard drive. Which reminds me, aren’t Blu-Ray disks about 25GB or so each? That means barely 12 games for a 320GB hard drive.

Better hope they come out with a terabyte drive for laptops very soon. Retails for ouch $125.

Last thought… where is there a homebrew community for the PS3? There are some serious holes in the logic around this device; but it warrants for more research. You know this will get blocked by an upcoming Sony PS3 firmware update. Still interesting though…

[ Links: PS Jailbreak ]

The people behind the Ghostbusters: The Videogame and the upcoming Marvel titles, Thor and Captain America games, as well as the upcoming Def Jam Rapstar have released a full-featured foundation engine that is cross-platform compatible and allows for rapid development of video games:

Terminal Reality announced today an incredible listing of upcoming titles that are using the powerful and versatile Infernal Engine to bring them to life. Games as different as Def Jam Rapstar, Disney’s family-pleasing Guilty Party, and Wipeout: The Game are just some of the titles using the Infernal Engine’s unique, cross-platform technology to deliver their various experiences. The complete line-up of notable titles includes (in order of release date):

• Wipeout: The Game (Wii) – currently available
• Disney’s Guilty Party (Wii) – August 26, 2010
• Def Jam Rapstar (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) – October 5, 2010
• The Force Unleashed II (Wii) – October 26, 2010
• The Grinder (Xbox360, PS3) – October 2011
• Thor (Wii, PSP) – May 2011
• Captain America (Wii, PSP) – TBA 2011

In addition, Terminal Reality, the development studio – best known for their work on the hit title, Ghostbusters: The Videogame – is currently putting finishing touches on the groundbreaking Def Jam Rapstar, due out October 5. Def Jam Rapstar is all about Hip-Hop and the music that makes it great. Aspiring emcees spit bars with the best in the history of Rap, both past and present, as they try to prove that no one else can fade them on the mic. The game features custom, proprietary voice recognition technology that keeps tabs on lyrical accuracy, because you can’t respect a fraud.

Can’t wait to see some office mates pull out Wu-Tang’s “C.R.E.A.M.” in the upcoming Def Jam Rapstar in October 5th.

[ Links: Terminal Reality, Infernal Engine ]

The folks over at Tweaktown have reviewed the Psyko Audio Labs 5.1 PC gaming headphones and came away rather impressed.

The Psyko Audio Labs 5.1 channel headset offers some really exciting new ideas about how surround information can be delivered. Developing Psykowave proprietary technology as the flagship feature truly makes this headset something quite unique. Plus, the added design feature of building the speakers into the top of the headband chassis allows for two large subwoofers with a vented ear enclosure, which is another key part of making this system work the way it does.

Adding an external amplifier really allows all of the speakers to reach their full potential and is also quite an attractive unit in its own right. The included mic is also a bonus for those users who seem to swear by them when they play games.

Priced at $299.99, these are definitely not your normal headphones but will keep you from disturbing your loved ones and neighbors while delivering a great surround sound experience.

[ Links: Tweaktown Psyko Audio Labs 5.1 PC Gaming Headphones Review, Psyko Audio Labs ]

Totally controllable via the Apple iPhone, Apple iPad or Apple iPod Touch via wi-fi, the Parrot AR.Drone is the world’s first quadro-copter (read: it has engines with blades) and it’s shipping in September. Also, X Games fans will have the chance to see the Parrot AR.Drone live this weekend at the games in Los Angeles and select L.A. Brookstone locations.

The AR.Drone combines real and virtual worlds to offer an unparalleled gaming experience. A front camera broadcasts and streams what the AR.Drone is seeing onto the iPod touch, iPhone or iPad screen and provides the opportunity for augmented reality games.

“The Parrot AR.Drone offers an entirely new flight and gaming experience,” said Brookstone CEO Ron Boire. “It’s the first flying vehicle you can control with your iPod, iPhone or iPad. Brookstone is proud to be the first store in the U.S. where customers can purchase the AR.Drone. We’re going to make a lot of pilots very happy throughout the fall and holiday season.”

The Parrot AR.Drone is a one-of-a-kind quadricopter, extremely easy to fly in both indoor and outdoor settings. The AR.Drone generates its own Wi-Fi network at which you simply connect an iPod touch or iPhone. The AR.FreeFlight application is a free app in the App Store and allows for the AR.Drone to be piloted via the iPod touch/iPhone/iPad. Once in-flight, the accelerometer of the iPod touch/iPhone/iPad detects all of the movements and the AR.Drone will mirror all movements made by the iPod touch/iPhone/iPad while the pilot’s left thumb is on the control button.

Armed with a camera that streams back to the Apple iPhone app, three axes accelerometer, two gyrometers (one axe & two axes), one ultrasound sensor and one vertical camera to automatically stabilize once it takes off where even a novice can get up to speed easily.

Priced at $299, this can be pre-ordered at Brookstone with an anticipated delivery date starting until September 3rd and will be an Brookstone exclusive until October 31st. The AR.Drone combines the worlds of video gaming and radio-controlled models, enabling consumers to recreate a large number of single and multi-player video games in the real world. One game, AR.FlyingAce will be available for download in the App Store. And

The AR.Drone-Pilot Academy at AR.Drone’s website provides multiple videos and instructions that prepare aspiring AR.Drone pilots for flight.

[ Links: Brookstone, AR.Drone ]

It comes out tomorrow, July 27th… BUY IT!!

Ok, fanboy love aside, the original StarCraft is a killer game. It sold 12 million copies in the 12 years since its original release. It brought real time strategy to folks that normally wouldn’t have liked real-time strategy (myself included) and the long-awaited sequel comes out July 27th.

Some other parts that you might not know is that this StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty cost over $100 million dollars in development to produce. That’s right… it’s more expensive than Polyphony’s Gran Turismo which (to date) has cost over $60 million so far to develop.

Perhaps you can celebrate owning StarCraft II alongside National Scotch Day.

[ Links: StarCraft II ]

Official word is that this is a “long ways” off, so there’s no date announced as of yet. Destined to come out on the current generation of videogame systems – so far the Sony PlayStation 3 and XBOX 360 have been confirmed. I will express concern as to how uneven the mostly non-projectile but combo heavy Tekken fighters will fare against the projectile heavy and somewhat combo heavy Street Fighter warriors will be. Ultimately, I finally get to see who’d win between Akuma (Gouki) versus Heihachi Mishami.

Can’t wait.

[ Links: Street Fighter X Tekken Debut Video ]

I’d consider myself somewhat of a gamer. I own a Sony PlayStation 3, I own a Nintendo Wii, I own a PC that I built around my video card (yes, it plays Crysis… quite well thank you) and I’ve purchased games on my Apple iPhone. On the Apple iPhone, I had found myself gravitating towards OpenFeint enabled games, a gaming framework created by the folks over at Aurora Feint that shares your high scores and accomplishments with your friends that also have that game, allows for announcements that range from free games for the day to updates and challenges from friends to beat their scores. All for free.

But what I noticed that a lot of OpenFeint enabled iPhone games had the ability to support in-game purchases on these games that… well, I thought they were losing money and just giving away the game but charging minor prices for trivial, and optional stuff. Boy was I wrong. There’s a lot of money in in-game virtual goods. According to a new Magid report, about $168 million dollars worth of money. That’s huge. And it’ll only get bigger in later years.

Virtual goods purchased on smartphones are a new emerging market in the United States. Who is actually buying them and how much they’re spending, however, has not been completely understood. Today, Frank N. Magid Associates and mobile social gaming network OpenFeint are shedding some light on the subject by providing the first-ever estimate on how much Americans are currently spending on virtual goods.

According to the study, Magid Media Futures 2010 Wireless and Consumers, Americans spent $168 million on mobile virtual goods in the last year. Magid estimates that over 70 million Americans now own smartphones – that’s 23 percent of the population. With 45 percent of those smartphone owners playing mobile games and 16 percent of those spending an average of $41 per year on in-game virtual goods, the market has already exceeded $168 million.

“The market for virtual goods has already exploded in web-based games like Zynga’s Farmville, and we’re just now starting to see this trend in the mobile space,” said Steve Lin, VP Operations of Aurora Feint. “In just the last few months we’ve seen amazing interest from our game developers in building mobile social games with virtual goods. Our internal numbers reflect the study in that free-to-play models will be the dominant pricing structure in the future.”

With 55 percent of smartphone gamers interested in buying virtual goods, the market is poised for strong growth as more virtual goods-based games enter the market. The study also shed more light on who is likely to play games on smartphones. Compared to the general population, smartphone gamers skew male and are between 18 and 34 years of age.

Buying virtual goods isn’t really anything new if you’ve ever played Diablo II or Farmville. But those micro-payments – I’ve personally bought a couple of extra levels for a couple of games to extend my enjoyment of some titles for 99 cents or so – add up. And apparently, it’s a back door to increasing the enjoyment and profitability of a game. And the best part, the people are buying into that mentality and in a big way in the aforementioned age groups (18-34).

“Everybody knows free-to-play social gaming models on PC platforms have been making a killing but mobile virtual goods aren’t as well understood,” said Mike Vorhaus, President, Magid Advisors. “With almost 20 percent of smartphone gamers already making purchases, there’s a lot of room for the market to keep taking off as smartphones continue to increase in popularity.”

Magid has looked pretty deep into the explosion growth of in-game virtual goods purchases of smartphone gaming. I think it’s time I dusted off my programming skills and got serious about making a socially aware, OpenFeint enabled smartphone game that allowed for in-game purchases to get my share of that $168 million and growing market.

[ Links: OpenFeint, Aurora Feint, Magid Advisors ]

I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t Nintendo just release a DS variant just a scant few months ago? Ignore that Nintendo DS XL. You want the Nintendo 3DS. It has a widescreen 3.5″ screen up top that gives you the sense of 3D without the need for expensive and cumbersome glasses like you do with the current 3D movies and HDTV televisions. On the (outside) hood of the Nintendo 3DS, there are a pair of 0.3 megapixel I know, low, but it’s a only a video game system that allows for 3D picture taking.

Shown just yesterday at the E3, the following is known:

Size (when closed): Approximately 5.3 inches wide, 2.9 inches long, 0.8 inches tall
Weight: Approximately 8 ounces
Top Screen: 3.53-inch widescreen LCD display, enabling 3D view without the need for special glasses; with 800×240 pixel resolution (400 pixels are allocated for each eye to enable 3D viewing)
Touch Screen: 3.02-inch LCD with 320×240 pixel resolution with a touch screen
Cameras: One inner camera and two outer cameras with 640×480 (0.3 Mega) pixel resolution
Game Controls: Touch screen, embedded microphone, A/B/X/Y face buttons, + Control Pad, L/R buttons, Start and Select buttons, “Slide Pad” that allows 360-degree analog input, one inner camera, two outer cameras, motion sensor and a gyro sensor
Input/Output: A port that accepts both Nintendo 3DS game cards and game cards for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems, an SD memory card slot, an AC adapter connector, a charging cradle terminal and a stereo headphone output jack.

No details on pricing yet, but consider this a serious DOWANT.

[ Links: Nintendo ]

Microsoft held their E3 keynote in Los Angeles yesterday morning, and as expected the primary focus was the company’s “Kinect” motion-sensing camera. Though the company also announced they were expanding the Xbox360 video lineup by adding a significant amount of sports content through a deal with ESPN, including not only ESPN shows – but also some live sporting events in HD (NBA, MLB, college football and college basketball). Said events include some interactivity during events with other Xbox 360 owners (polls, trivia, etc.), and both voice and gesture remote control via Kinect, which goes on sale in November at $150.

Microsoft also introduced a slimmer version of the Xbox 360 with integrated 802.11N. There’s no confirmation yet of a lingering rumor concerning Hulu integration.

Link to the original article…

Seems like loose lips have outed Microsoft’s pending E3 announcement of Project Natal finally getting a true name. That name? Kinect.

Ars spotted the story before USA Today yanked it, and managed to grab a few choice Kinect game details. Like Kinectimals (some sort of virtual big-cat training sim), Kinect Sports (Microsoft’s multi-activity answer to Wii Sports), Joyride (a kart-style racing game), Kinect Adventures (a river-raft sim), and Dance Central (presumably just what it sounds like). LucasArts and Disney are also planning Kinect titles, presumably to be announced during tomorrow press show.

Arstechnica grabbed the story while it was still up on USA Today’s site, now removed didn’t list the price point for Kinect though.

Read more over at Arstechnica.

[ Link: Microsoft XBOX 360, PC World, Arstechnica ]

Despite making many attempts to secure and lockdown the Sony PSP platform, Sony has been outpaced by the homebrew scene consistently. Copy protection, stronger DRM, applications that wouldn’t run on anything but the absolute newest firmware, Sony has tried it all, and has been beaten to the punch.

The newest games out use a new decryption method that Sony thought would stop piracy. The guys over at OCModshop prove Sony wrong.

These new games utilize a new decryption method, and cannot be patched using Eboot Exchange 2.8. Some of the new games that cannot be patched by EE are:

• Iron Man 2
• Prince of Persia – Forgotten Sands
• Metal Gear Solid – Peace Walker
• FullMetal Alchemist
• What Have I Done To Deserve This, My Lord?
• Hexyz Force

Of course there are methods to manually patch your games (UMDGen 4.0, etc), but these are rather complicated, especially when compared to the ease of Eboot Exchange. Another method to patch recent games is with the use of ISO Tool 1.51. Not only will it patch 6.20 games to work on the recent custom firmwares, but it does it right on the PSP – no PC required!

The instructions are simple enough to follow. Take that Sony!

[ Links: OCModshop ]