The Back Buffer

Australian 360 Core Has Always Been the Price of a Wii

2007-08-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Damned Americans reporting on the 'news' without even fully understanding. No wonder their foreign policy sucks so much. The Xbox 360 core has always been for $399, the same price for a Wii in fact. Miyamoto lied to us Aussies when he said it would be cheaper than the Core 360, he tricked us! We pay about $327USD per Wii and 360. It has always been this way.Why is it that engagdet reports this as

Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Running @ 1600x1200, 8x AA, 16x AS

2007-08-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

Lets not wait for the Wii's successor which will 'only' be able to upscale to 1080p (at best). Gekko, an up and coming GameCube emulator, is already going in game with some classic GC games and outputting crisp graphics while it's at it.More can be found at Gekko's insider forums (Twilight Princess included).Earlier Gekko media released (months ago, from when Gekko did not support high resolution

A Look Into Team Fortress 2's Graphics Shaders

2007-08-15T04:17:00.000-07:00

Why this art style? How is it achieved? How does it work? Learn from the best! It looks like more and more developers are looking into the real worlds artistic history, rather than just trying to imitate it. The reception both Bioshock and Team Fortress 2 are getting for their distinct art styles may be a sign of things to come. Maybe it will may even be the new World War 2... maybeee not.

Triple LCD Screen Setup Got You All Wet? Check This Out

2007-08-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

While people are cheering and jeering over three LCD screen setups with Forza 2, some folks have decided to take it one step further with a Playstation 3 built right into a BMW M3 chassis for a vehicle simulator (of all things).Yes the car moves left and right, the whole thing is built around the simulator itself, the only thing the chassis won't do is jump up in the air when the car is airborne

Bioshock, Blending Elements From Half-Life and Deus Ex (Review Included)

2007-08-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

If Bioshock is 'genetically enhanced' it's been enhanced with a fusion of Half-Life and Deus Ex genes. The developers aren't even hiding it, the intro sequence even mirrors that of the original Half-Life as you descend into Rapture. Though this game takes it one step further, not just above Half-Life and Deus Ex but for gaming in general by presenting choices that aren't necessarily dictated by

New Killzone 2 Footage + Details

2007-08-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

A nice developer walkthrough showcasing the graphics, presentation with developer commentary about 'making the best first person shooter', from the BBC no less.

Epic Wants Silicon Knights to Pay "in excess of $650,000"

2007-08-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

All out assault from Epic here, they believe Silicon Knights is simply trying to get a quick cash back and even perhaps planning to license off its so-called 'UE3-Derived' 'Silicon Knights Engine'. In a counter claim Epic says that Silicon Knights case carries 'no factual merit' and that the license Silicon Knights had bought was given at a 'substantial discount' since Silicon Knights had agreed

"Suck my little yellow balls Mr Ballmer" - Hiroshi Yamauchi

2007-08-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: The quote was not made by Hiroshi Yamauchi, it came from a fake Wired article from 2005. Find out more here.After learning that Americans don't understand the concepts of loyalty or honor and rather think that offering bucket loads of money can get you anywhere Hiroshi Yamauchi (then Nintendo President) put it plainly. He stood up and said it, "Suck my little yellow balls Mr Ballmer"

Tech-5 Video Walkthrough

2007-08-05T02:26:00.000-07:00

Tech 5 is showing off some amazing 3D graphics, up there with the likes of UE3 powered games and Crysis. But whats most surprising is that iD is even planning on hitting the 60fps sweetspot with their latest game, 'RAGE', on both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360!For those counting down the doom of the Xbox 360 with the new fangled texture streaming, well, if having two DVDs is much worse than one

Nintendo Stock Goes Up and Up

2007-08-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

You wondering how much Nintendo is gaining from its recent success? You wonder why Nintendo is ignoring 'hardcore' gamers? Same reason.VIA Shamoozal

iD Games Cometh to Steam

2007-08-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

In a not so surprising Move iD has put up its entire catalogue (and back catalogue) of games on Steam. From Doom 3 all the way back to Commander Keen iD has been very thorough, more than likely motivated by the idea of having less piracy. Of course being able to charge $5 for their classics is always a plus for both them and the older gamer.Prices start at $5 for games like Commander Keen,

Quake Arena Coming to DS

2007-08-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

It's official as official can be as it has come from the mouth of John Carmack speaking at QuakeCon. Quake Arena DS is 'in the works' and may very well become a reality... with a few minor quirks.First of all he doesn't want it to be like Metroid Prime Hunters, namely no touchscreen and more restrictive like the original Doom. This is a bit of a shame as after maybe an hour with Metroid Prime

Analyst Assumptions Wrong

2007-08-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

Perhaps even equal and opposite, Analyst Michael Pachter believes Rockstar has delayed the release of Grand Theft Auto IV because it is struggling with development on the PlayStation 3 however Rockstar has never said anything to that effect. In fact what Rockstar has said once in the past is the Xbox 360 is giving them development problems.Further more Michael speculates there is some contract

Rage Debut Trailer

2007-08-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

Finally, after skimping out on a proper public E3 appearance iD has shown off a real trailer for their next-gen (and a half) game.

Metal Gear Online

2007-07-30T23:33:00.000-07:00

Introducing a new chapter in the Metal Gear saga, a completely stand alone online team oriented multiplayer game.

Why DirectX 10 Is Slow to Start

2007-07-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

Unlike every previous update in the DirectX serious DirectX 10 has completely dumped all backwards compatibility in favor of a fresh start. By doing so it has managed to get rid of annoying little tid bits that have built up inside it over the past few years. DX10 has been made with the next five to six years in mind which may show off some of the biggest developments in the history of real time

Call of Duty DS

2007-07-22T01:20:00.000-07:00

No joke, the Nintendo DS will be getting some Call of Duty loving. It will, just like Call of Duty 4 be set in the modern world and will be an FPS.The production values seem high, this game is one to look out for. Perhaps there will finally be another decent FPS title to play besides Metroid Prime Hunters.

Uwe Boll Beats Up Four of His Critics

2007-07-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

He may be a terrible scamming movie director but he seriously wasn't joking when he challenged his critics to boxing matches, one after another he won. Lowtax (founder of Something Awful) in particular played the part of the nerdy kid who gets beat up by the big bully pretty well.Richard Kyanka (Lowtax of Something Awful) vs. Uwe (Winner: Uwe)I'm sorry Lowtax but running around like that won't

360 Games Montage

2007-07-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

Sony might be getting back on its feet but it's hardly over for the Xbox 360. 2007 is going to be a very big year indeed, from Halo 3 to Eternel Sonata the Xbox 360 has some quality titles coming up.360_07_montage_final.avi

Gran Turismo 5 Disappointment

2007-07-21T04:49:00.000-07:00

Now without a doubt Gran Turismo 5 is shaping up to becoming the best looking racing game on any platform. Unfortunately it is suffering from something that has been with games for as long as flora has. Of all 'next gen' titles you would think Gran Turismo 5 would have shook off this decade old convention. While the trees are barely noticable when driving they stick out like a sore thumb during

Far Cry 2 is Coming, First Video Tech Demo Released

2007-07-21T00:04:00.000-07:00

Far Cry 2 is coming though it is not Crysis and it is not being developed by CryTek, Far Cry 2 is being developed and published by Ubisoft. The tech demo showcases some very interesting vertex shaders being used for real-time deformations, materials will deform realistically from impacts, also they are used to build dirt on different materials. They are also going to be used for lighting.

Like Playing a Pixar Movie

2007-07-20T06:38:00.000-07:00

The latest 'Ratchet and Clank' trailer shows the game is departing from guns and moving back to platforming with a distinct change of feel from serious/cartoon to just plain fun. It is every bit the Pixar adventure as it is a great game, from witty dialogue to colourful art style this game has it all.There is also a nice touch of sentiment, James Westbrook who featured in Extreme Makeover is a

The Valve Conspiracy

2007-07-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

It has been proven without a doubt that Valve is involved in some global videogame conspiracy to not develop games for Linux, while there are many, many developers who don't ever make games for Linux it is apparent that Valve deserves to get the criticism for not porting its games to Linux.So off went the rioters, running their pirated Vista computers demanding Linux support. 'We want teh

Sour Grapes - Silicon Knights May Ruin Itself and Too Human Over Childish Grudge

2007-07-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

There's no doubt that Silicon Knights head blames Epic games for the PR failure of the second playable showing of 'Too Human' however whats sad is that it has turned from a personal dislike to a full blown lawsuit that may potentially ruin Silicon Knights and 'Too Human'.Their lawsuit is unwarranted on many levels, the most basic of which is common sense, I wouldn't expect any programmer to get

Bully Heading to Xbox 360 and Wii

2007-07-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Rockstar is porting its infamous 'Bully Simulator' to the Xbox 360 and somewhat surprisingly to the Wii. The game is still a port however it will have new content and will be renamed Bully: Scholarship Edition.Both the Wii and Xbox 360 versions will retain the wit and deep gameplay of the previously released PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system title and will boast additional new content.

Mark Rein: 'Playstation 3 Only Known Console Thats Gonna Let us Create Mods'

2007-07-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

In an interview with Gamespot Mark Rein continues his love affair with the Playstation 3, explaining that Unreal Tournament 3 is running better on the Playstation 3 than Gears of War was on the 360 last year.Furthermore he said that one of the reasons why Epic was going Playstation 3 exclusive was because of the openness of the Playstation network' and that Unreal Tournament 'is all about mods'.

Rockstar Presents Table Tennis Heading To the Wii

2007-07-18T06:31:00.001-07:00

It was only a matter of time no doubt, it was only a matter of time. The Wii will finally find a *real* table tennis game to call its own in the form of 'Rockstar Presents Table Tennis'.The Wii might lose out in the graphics deparment but there certainly is gameplay potential with the WiiMote."Ever since we released Table Tennis, fans have been asking us to create a Wii version," said Sam Houser,

Super Smash Bros. Brawl/Melee Screenshots Comparison

2007-07-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

You really don't know how much better Brawl looks until you see it first hand.