iPhone - iPod Touch

Mystery trailer teases new game for iPhone

Glenn M. — 2009-07-01T20:26:47-06:00

"You have no idea what's coming on iPhone." That's the big header on this new teaser site, which shows a short video of what appears to be a new game coming to the iPhone.

The video shows two guys in an SUV, they rob a bank, and they manage to get away from the car chase. That's about it. Nothing's in there about gameplay, developer, or when the teaser will tell us more. All it says is that this new game is coming summer 2009.

Can't embed the video here, so you'll have to go to the teaser site below via the source link.

The last teaser trailer already got cracked:

Square Enix mystery game is a new handheld Final Fantasy title

iPhone OS 3.1 beta out now, notable features listed

Ryan F. — 2009-07-01T15:42:42-06:00

Apple released yesterday the iPhone SDK 3.1 beta and iPhone OS 3.1 beta for the lucky developers for testing. The SDK is now available for download on the iPhone Dev Center page. So what's new in the upcoming iPhone OS 3.1?

The developers have reported some of the changes found in the upcoming iPhone OS 3.1 and it includes the following:

Trimming video clips on the iPhone 3GS now offers the ability to save the edited version as a copy rather than simply overwriting the original file.
Voice Control over Bluetooth is now available, allowing users to Initiate calls and control music playback via Bluetooth headsets.
MMS is now enabled by default, but still not supported by AT&T.
iPhone vibrates when rearranging Home screen icons.
A "Fraud Protection" toggle is now available in Safari settings.
iPhone startup and shutdown and app launching times have improved.
New APIs allow developers of third-party application to access and edit videos.
OpenGL and Quartz have seen improvements.

iPhone OS 3.0 officially released - internet tethering, stereo Bluetooth audio, more

Gamevil updates Zenonia, improved controls and balancing

Glenn M. — 2009-06-30T20:42:22-06:00

Listening to user feedback, Gamevil updates their hot-selling mobile RPG, Zenonia, to v1.1, giving the game improved controls and better gameplay balance. Taking major complaints and issues into consideration, Gamevil stamped the bad out and improved the overall gameplay experience for the the RPG.

As mentioned above, the controls were substantially improved since the previous version's turned out to have a few shortcomings. The touch area that activates the D-Pad has been expanded, more transparency was added to on-screen controls, and inventory navigation controls were tweaked for convenience.

One major balance improvement that Gamevil also addressed was how often your character needed to eat and how equipment quickly gets degraded. The new version completely rebalanced these issues and now the hunger and equipment wear and tear now advance at more reasonable rates.

Additionally, you can now toggle the BGM, allowing iPod playback while playing the game. Zenonia remains in the App Store at US 5.99.

Mobile RPG Zenonia now on App Store

Rolando pulled from App Store...almost!

Glenn M. — 2009-06-30T17:09:05-06:00

Over the weekend, Rolando developers Ngmoco posted that they had plans to pull the popular game from the App Store. After getting some feedback, they've decided that it may have been a silly thing to do. Why?

According to the blog post, Ngmoco simply wanted to see how the sequel, Rolando 2, would do in terms of sales without having to compete with the original. As a result, the original Topple will also find its way back on the store.

We did not intend to deprive you of the ability to re-download or update our games. Rather, we had wanted to learn how well Rolando 2 would do at launch without the competition generated by its predecessor.

The App Store is an entirely new animal, and we re always learning what it takes to deliver what you want. So we ve learned.

That s why we have decided not to remove Rolando from the App Store, and it is why Topple will return.

That's that for this little issue, so now you can still download the original Rolando for your iPhone and iPod Touch.

Tried this one yet?

Doom Resurrection for iPhone and iPod Touch out now, interview with the devs

DOS classic, Tyrian, lands on iPhone

Mabie A. — 2009-06-30T16:22:49-06:00

More DOS-era games are coming out on the Apple App Store for all you retro-gamers at heart out there. Yesterday, we saw the launch of the Tyrian port land on the online store for US 1.99.

Tyrian was a 1995 original vertical shoot 'em up and was later released in 2004 as freeware. For this version of the game, it is based on the open source code project and unfortunately does not come with the data files because of some licensing issues. But nonetheless, you'll get to enjoy it and you'll need only 4.6MB of space on your iPhone / iPod Touch to enjoy.

Other iPhone Games:

Doom Resurrection for iPhone and iPod Touch out now, interview with the devs

Glenn M. — 2009-06-29T21:41:14-06:00

With id Software's latest release, Doom Resurrection, now on the App Store, attention now turns to the gameplay and the controls of the handheld FPS. For that, Touch Arcade managed to get the info straight from John Carmack himself, plus Tom Mustaine of Escalation Studios.

One of the biggest criticisms about Doom Resurrection was that it felt like an on-rails experience, which described the game to be limiting. This, however, was contested by both Carmack and Mustaine, saying that they limited the free-roam aspect to make the game far more accessible and improved the overall experience.

"We tried to avoid having it characterized like that, there is a stigma associated with that," Carmack said. "We like to talk about it as kind of a "crafted experience." Adding to that experience would be the tilt-to-aim mechanic, which they proudly put in place of the not-as-fun tap-to-shoot format. This feature has not been used in other iPhone games yet, and they expect it to be imitated soon.

Here's a vid for you to get a bigger picture of what they're talking about.

Doom Resurrection is now available in the App Store for US 9.99.

More on id Software and Doom Resurrection:

New id iPhone project every two or three months, says Carmack

Karl B. — 2009-06-29T10:58:14-06:00

John Carmack seems to have fallen in love with the iPhone. Speaking to MTV Multiplayer, the id Software co-founder revealed that iPhone and iPod Touch owners can expect an id release every two to three months over the next year.

We've got our 3 major prongs, with the classic games [Wolf 3D Classic, Doom Classic]. We have the from scratch games, that DOOM Resurrection is the first of, and well probably have something RAGE-themed there.

Then we've also got our traditional mobile games, starting with Wolfenstein RPG, which is already done and in the can, but EA thought everyone was going to be confused about Wolfenstein RPG and Wolfenstein 3D Classic. They're sitting on that for a while and I don't know when they're gonna get that out.

Then the expectation is that the id Mobile team will be doing the DOOM 2 RPG for the iPhone after the finish with the Java and Brew versions.

Carmack also talked about future id games for the iPhone, which according to him will "no doubt" include Quake and Quake 2. Quake 3, on the other hand, might have to wait a while.

I think that I can probably manage to do Quake 3 on the conventional iPhone platform, if Apple winds up addressing just a few things in their system software. When you start looking at the 3GS, [Quake 3] would not be a problem at all.

iPod Touch, iPhone game: 3D Rollercoaster Rush

Glenn M. — 2009-06-28T22:18:19-06:00

Any chance you guys got to play Rollercoaster Rush? If you did, then you might love its sequel, 3D Rollercoaster Rush. Digital Chocolate has now launched the new 3D rollercoaster game into the App Store so you might want to take a look.

Features listed by the developer:

Two great games in one:
- Career Mode Play 40 different action-packed rollercoaster tracks in a Wild West theme park
- Challenge Race Mode Replay all 40 rollercoaster tracks to out race the game designer s time!
Expertly crafted tracks with realistic coaster physics
Stunning and detailed 3D graphics
Perform insane stunts to get a higher score!
Unique iPhone and iPod touch controls users can use the accelerometer feature by tilting the device to make the carts go faster and slower.
Bright and stunning 3D art graphics

Price currently stands at US 4.99, but there's a free lite version to try it out with.

More iPod Touch, iPhone games:

Mass Effect Galaxy now on App Store, completion gives reward in Mass Effect 2

iPhone 3GS jailbreak ready, but not for release just yet

Glenn M. — 2009-06-28T21:56:59-06:00

As expected, the iPhone DevTeam made short work out of the new iPhone 3GS and the team is now perfectly capable of jailbreaking the new model. For now, however, the team decided not to release the files for public use.

As posted on the DevTeam's blog:

We can jailbreak the 3GS right now. But making our jailbreak public at this point in time would benefit relatively few people. It would in fact be detrimental to many more people than it would help. So we feel it s best to keep our version of the jailbreak out of Apple s sights for the time being.

The DevTeam believes that there still aren't many 3GS owners out there, much less those that have done a full USB dump or captured img3s signed with ECID. Even with a million in sales in three days, the 3GS still does not have a big enough population to benefit from the jailbreak, as compared to when millions more have gotten it. "There are parts of the globe where you can't even buy a 3GS yet!" the DevTeam noted.

"Here s the critical point," they said. "...the reason why we re delaying our version of the jailbreak: Once the jailbreak is out, Apple will fix the iBoot-family bug we use to accomplish it. They will simply stop signing the old iBoots and only sign the fixed ones. If you bought your phone after Apple has done this, there s nothing you can do the jailbreak isn t going to work for you."

They also note that Apple is sure to come up with a 3.0.1 firmware release shortly to fix ultrasn0w, apart from other problems with the 3.0. As it is, patience is a virtue, so those who already have a 3GS could wait a bit more for the benefit of a greater population.

QuickJump QuickPeek 78: of new teasers, guitar gods, censorship, and more lawsuits

Mabie A. — 2009-06-28T16:25:30-06:00

Another week full of lawsuits. Poor, beleaguered company Midway came under fire once again, and this time it was from a very unlikely direction: the guy behind the Mortal Kombat movies sued Midway in order to "protect his IP rights", which is a better way of saying that he wants to keep milking the MK franchise for as long as possible. Square Enix also got served with a class-action lawsuit for "deceiving" Final Fantasy XI patrons regarding fees. Not everything was bad, though, as we got wind of two possible new games from a pair of big companies.

The PSP blog saw a nice healthy balance of hardware and software news this week. PSP owners have been clamoring for a new GTA game for a long time now. This week they finally got their wish. Those holding out for a lower price point for the PSP Go, however... well, I'll just advise you not to hold your breath for it as Sony is showing no sign of backing down on this one.

Link: PSP Weekend Warrior

The Japan-only PSP title Evangelion: Jo made waves this week not because of its gameplay or anything, but because of a new anti-CFW feature built into it. It's not exactly new since there have been other PSP games that implemented CFW checks before, but it does drive home the point that developers are taking it into their own hands to keep PSP piracy at bay.

Link: PSP Homebrew Weekend Warrior

Games once again took center stage in the PS3 blog this week, and not just the retail titles too. PSN downloadables also took their time in the spotlight, especially Final Fantasy VII, which proved extremely bankable even after more than a decade. This right here is why Square Enix won't ever stop milking the Final Fantasy franchise.

Link: PS3 Weekend Warrior

Another gaming week has gone, but one thing always remains: there's always something to learn in the gaming industry, and we'd all like to be there every step of the way. This week on the Microsoft blog, we've got rules, giveaway themes, huge opportunities, and giant gameplays worthy of a show at the Giants Stadium's LCD wall.

Link: Xbox 360 Weekend Warrior

This week sure has been a quite one for Ninty. Early prepping for TGS maybe? At any rate, there are still a few tidbits to be read in this week's recap, the biggest being Shia LeBeouf's anti-Wii comments that may have lost him a few fans and earned him a lot of flames.

Link: WiiDS Weekend Warrior

Last week definitely saw a lot of hype surrounding the official release and subsequent jailbreaking of the iPhone OS 3.0. With that out of the way, spotlight turns back to the latest iPhone, the iPhone 3G S, with the week closing as we await the much-awaited jailbreak and unlock for the new model.

Link: iPhone Weekend Warrior

Industry News:

It's teaser site countdown time again, this time Square Enix.com Japan is counting the hours until they reveal more info about their new game. The page features a plain sketch of a simple landscape with only a big number four providing the only solid clue as to what it'll be.

Link: Teaser site countdowns anew: Square Enix hints with the number 4

Square Enix isn't the only one with a new teaser site. Capcom Japan has also put one up, so for this week we get to wrack our brains about two different upcoming games. No countdown for the Capcom site, though, but there is a number.

Link: Capcom teaser site launched; new Basara game coming?

Midway just can't seem to get a break these days. After all the drama that came their way, even the guy behind the Mortal Kombat movies has sued them to "protect" his IP rights. Things may be looking up for the beleaguered company, though, as now they're owned by Warner Bros. -- by default, since apparently the big WB was the only one who had a "serious offer".

Link: Midway sued by movie producer over Mortal Kombat IP rights
Link: Warner Bros. acquires Midway by default, was the only one 'serious'

Know who else is getting a raw deal? Australians. Pretty soon Australian gamers won't be able to access anymore those websites that host and sell games which the government deems to contain content "edgier" than what is allowed under an MA-15 rating. Doesn't matter if you're above 18 not, if it's blocked, you're not getting to it.

Link: Australia to block online access to games with content beyond MA-15

PEGI's starting to flex its muscles, warning publishers to dare not cheat the system, for the arms of the law are long -- and can get all your money away, leaving you bankrupt. This is what publishers out there should be warned of. The ELSPA is serious with their business, and you bet you'll get fined big time if you lie to PEGI.

Link: No, no, no, no, don't lie: publishers to face heavy fine if caught lying to PEGI

Speaking of deception, Square Enix is facing a class action lawsuit claiming that Square Enix of America has "deceived 100,000 customers by not being upfront about fees and penalties."

Link: Square Enix sued for "deceiving" patrons

Jimmy Page and Jack White are not singing praises for Guitar Hero. Their concurrence: video games shouldn't be how people get exposed to music or playing instruments. In a press conference in LA, promoting the documentary "It Might Get Loud", the two legendary guitarists (Page from Led Zeppelin, White from The White Stripes, in case you didn't know) gave out their thoughts on music-simulation games.

Link: The gods are not happy: Jimmy Page and Jack White find learning music through Guitar Hero 'sad'

Judging by the comments on that Metal Gear Solid movie post a while back, it seems a number of you guys like the thought of Christian bale playing Solid Snake. Got some bad news for you though (and good news for those who didn't want him in the movie): Bale says he hasn't been approached about the Metal Gear Solid movie.

Link: Christian Bale hasn't been approached for MGS movie, likes very short answers

Not everything in the past week was all gloom and doom and bas news though. The week also saw the release of the list of winners in the Game Critics Awards Best of E3 2009.

Link: Game Critics Awards Best of E3 2009 winners announced

Finally stepping up to the plate in defense of video games is Electronic Arts exec Peter Moore -- and to Mr. President, Barack Obama himself, no less! After recommending that kids should play out in the sunshine more rather than play videogames indoor, in his speech to the American Medical Association, Obama has now been challenged by Moore to get into a 30-Day Challenge. He sure knows how to generate some press, that Peter Moore.

Link: Peter Moore presents 30-Day Challenge to Obama

All these lawsuits are making my head hurt. Especially that Midway one. I mean, come on, Midway hasn't exactly been pumping out a steady stream of quality but Kasanoff's output is decidedly worse. His claims are a riot, though, so there's that at least.

Well, that's it for this week guys. Stay tuned for next week's recap.

iPhone Weekend Warrior - it's iPhone 3G S' turn at the spotlight

Glenn M. — 2009-06-27T23:31:28-06:00

Last week definitely saw a lot of hype surrounding the official release and subsequent jailbreaking of the iPhone OS 3.0. With that out of the way, spotlight turns back to the latest iPhone, the iPhone 3G S, with the week closing as we await the much-awaited jailbreak and unlock for the new model. So what happened in between all that? Find out in this week's iPhone Weekend Warrior.

Games

Mass Effect Galaxy - Now available in the App Store
Castle of Magic - Just got a price cut

News

Controls have always been an issue when it came to iPhone games. For that, 22moo whips out the GameBone Pro, the iPhone controller to fix that little issue. Link
When Jenova Chen released flOw's code, he was hoping it'd help people learn Flash programming. But instead of getting credit for his release, Chen is upset that the creators of the new iPhone game, Aquatica, did not so much as give him credit for using his code in their release. Aquatica creator Ketara answers, saying that they wrote the entire code from scratch, so they deemed no credit to Chen is due. Link
When you go through all the trouble to get your app licensed, it's not gonna be a sunny day when Apple bars you from having it up their storefront. That's exactly what happened to Manomio, when their perfectly legal Commodore 64 emulator didn't make it to the App Store due to an SDK agreement violation. Link
Speaking of emulators, no one does 'em like ZodTTD. Jailbreak isn't even out, but the emulator dev can already be seen teasing the results of his work, bringing gpSphone and psx4iPhone to the iPhone 3G S Link
Three days after launch of the iPhone 3G S, Apple proudly announces that they've already sold a million units of the iPhone 3G S. Link
The prolific iPhone DevTeam released Ultrasn0w earlier this week, unlocking all iPhone 3G models, that is except for the newest, the 3G S. Link
Now they're really talking. Shortly after the release of Ultrasn0w, the iPhone DevTeam posts that the jailbreak and unlock for the 3G S is coming soon. And when the DevTeam says "soon," they really mean it. Link

iPhone DevTeam: iPhone 3GS jailbreak and unlock coming soon

Ryan F. — 2009-06-27T14:09:15-06:00

Great news to all iPhone 3GS owners, the iPhone DevTeam has confirmed that the 24kpwn exploit used to crack open the iPod touch 2G is also applicable to the bootrom of the iPhone 3GS. This means that by using the redsnow tool, the team can jailbreak and unlock the iPhone 3GS.

So why didn't Apple fix the 24kpwn exploit in the first place? Here's what the iPhone DevTeam have to say:

Well it seems this bootrom was cut in about the August 2008 timeframe, so the unintended early reveal of 24Kpwn earlier this year didn t affect the iPhone 3GS. And yes, ultrasn0w will be able to be used on the iPhone 3GS for you unlockers! (In fact, without any modifications whatsoever!) Apple has not given up on the cat&mouse game, and in fact there are challenging aspects of the 3GS jailbreak that aren t in the other devices. It ll take some time to safely work these into our tools, but the fundamental weaknesses are there: The bootrom is exploitable via 24Kpwn, and the baseband is exploitable via ultrasn0w. (And just like with the 3G, ultrasn0w for 3GS requires that you not update your baseband when Apple comes out with new firmware.)

So there you go, it's only a matter of time when the iPhone 3GS jailbreak and unlock will be available to the public. Stay tune.

iPhone Dev Team releases Ultrasn0w, unlocks all iPhone 3G model

iPhone game accused of plagiarizing flOw

Karl B. — 2009-06-24T16:11:40-06:00

When flOw burst onto the PS3 (and PSP) scene, a lot of people appreciated its minimalist and serene design. Creator Jenova Chen eventually released the game's source code for people to learn from, but now it seems as though someone didn't just learn from it but actually just copied it instead.

That's what Chen thought when he first saw Ketara Software's iPhone game Aquatica. On his Twitter page, Chen accused the Aquatica developer of plagiarizing flOw:

I released flOw source for people to learn. I didn't expect to see it on iphone without quoting the creator

I just gave out source for people who wants to learn Flash programming. However, according to them, they wrote it from scratch.

Chen also gave 1Up the following statement:

The image and animation in Aquatica is almost identical to the original web game I created. I felt maybe they are one of the many who asked me for the flOw source code. But according to the comments the creator of the Aquatica made on the youtube, they didn't use my source code.

...

I thought the creation of Aquatica is a very flattering thing because they mimic the game I created in the university and somewhat realized my dream for a flOw game on the iPhone. It could be a very sweet thing if they did this as a fan ware and put it out for free. But the fact they didn't mention flOw at all and call it a 'new, unique game completely in a class of its own' is disappointing.

Ketara, meanwhile, had this to say in the comments section of their YouTube trailer for Aquatica amidst more accusations from commenters:

Actually, all the source code is completely, 100 written from scratch. Please check your facts before you make such baseless accusations.

Also, what's wrong with adapting a general idea of one game to the iPhone? No one had done this before, and we wanted to play it with tilt controls. In general, most games within each class are practically the same, just different graphics.

It's noteworthy that Ketara's website for Aquatica now says that the game is "an iPhone from-the-ground-up re-make of the famous flOw game created by Jenova Chen of the ThatGameCompany fame."

Ketara has also since posted the following comment on the Aquatica YouTube trailer:

We deeply apologize for this. We simply (naively) did not think it necessary, since we did indeed write absolutely ALL the code ourselves, and were not even aware flOw's source was released. We can easily prove it by releasing any part of the code anyone requests.

We have corrected this by posting proper credits everyone (they will show up in iTunes in several hours, as all changes do).

We will also be contacting Jenova Chen to apologize.

Aquatica is currently available for free on the App Store, but that's only for a limited time promo. Here are videos of both games so you can judge for yourself if this is indeed a clear-cut case of plagiarism or not.

Aquatica gameplay

flOw gameplay

TL;DR?

ZodTTD teases gpSPhone and psx4iphone running on iPhone 3GS

Ryan F. — 2009-06-24T14:08:51-06:00

The iPhone DevTeam hasn't released a jailbreak for the iPhone 3GS as of the moment but that won't stop famed iPhone homebrew developer ZodTTD for porting his emulators to the speedy new iPhone. Here we have a video preview of his two popular emulators, the gpSPhone and the psx4iphone running on the new iPhone 3GS.

On the first video, Zod previews the GBA emulator, gpSPhone, running on the iPhone 3GS. The video shows the emulator running at a minimum 150 FPS and maxing out at about 225 FPS, with sound and 0 frameskip whereas the iPhone 3G needed frameskipping just to reach 60 FPS.

On the second video, you have the Playstation emulator, psx4iphone running on 3GS. The video shows the classic PS1 game Final Fantasy 7 running at full speed at the very least without sound. Zod says that the build is still rough around the edges, as you can t switch games without restarting the emulator, and only the memory card saves are currently working, no save states just yet. Both these issues are being worked on. Stay tune for updates.

iPhone Dev Team releases Ultrasn0w, unlocks all iPhone 3G model

Apple sells one million iPhone 3GS in three days

Mabie A. — 2009-06-23T18:58:38-06:00

Apple released a press wire yesterday proudly proclaiming that they have already sold over one million iPhone 3GS models only three days after its launch. Apart from that, six million customers have been said to have downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 software only five days since its official release.

CEO Steve Jobs said, "Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning. With over 50,000 applications available from Apple's revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is growing stronger than ever."

The 3GS model is said to the be fastest, most powerful iPhone yet, packed with improved speed and performance (recorded to be twice as fast as 3G), longer battery life, 3megapixel autofocus camera, hands free voice control and easy to use video recording.

Other features include Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS, Spotlight, Search, landscape keyboard and more. The iPhone 3GS comes in two models, 16GB (priced at US 199) and 32GB (US 299).

Off topic, but it's sure nice to hear from Steve Jobs after his half-year sick leave.

iPhone Dev Team releases Ultrasn0w, unlocks all iPhone 3G model

Ryan F. — 2009-06-23T13:18:51-06:00

iPhone 3G owners rejoice! The iPhone DevTeam has finally released the long awaited iPhone 3G unlock, Ultrasnow. This new tool is an updated version of Yellowsnow and will unlock all iPhone 3G models except for the latest iPhone 3G S.

To install Ultrasnow:

Ensure you have upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0
Jailbreak your iPhone 3G using redsn0w or PwnageTool (this will also install Cydia/Icy)
Run Cydia or Icy
Please add the repo repo666.ultrasn0w.com to Cydia or Icy. That last o is actually the number zero 0 ! If you use the letter o you ll get an error.
Search for ultrasn0w in cydia or icy and install ultrasn0w
Reboot your iPhone 3G
T-Mobile USA users should disable 3G before using ultrasn0w
Enjoy

Mass Effect Galaxy now on App Store, completion gives reward in Mass Effect 2

Karl B. — 2009-06-23T10:02:35-06:00

Its just as the title says. Electronic Arts' Mass Effect game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, Mass Effect Galaxy, is now on the App Store, and it looks like it does tie in to Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360 and PC).

According to AppGamer, upon completion of the game players can login with their EA account to confirm the accomplishment. Doing so will trigger a message that says "Your reward for completing the game is already waiting for you in Mass Effect 2."

There's no word yet on what the "reward" is, and we'll probably have to wait until Mass Effect 2's release to find out. Those who want to play through the game can get it from the App Store for US 4.99. Be warned, though -- user reviews so far haven't exactly been stellar.

Presenting GameBone Pro: your iPhone controller

Mabie A. — 2009-06-23T01:31:31-06:00

A lot of skeptics have been huffing and puffing that the iPhone is not and cannot be the gaming handheld to match the PSP if only for the simple fact that its controls are impossible. So you want controls? Here's some definite control.

22moo has unveiled their solution to the controller-less iPhone gaming problem, GameBone Pro. As you can see from the image above, and as you can glean from the name of the product, it's bone-shaped. Looks sheepishly like an Xbox 360 controller (probably because of the color scheme), and features the following:

Dual connectivity - Connect with Bluetooth wirelessly OR use the 30-pin dock connector cable
2000mAh Lithium-ion Battery for additional power for your iPod touch / iPhone
LED showing charging state and capacity
8-way D-Pad with 6 buttons
Bluetooth button for pairing and status
Built-in speakers, mic and 3.5 audio headphone jack
"Made for iPod" and "Works for iPhone" certification

It looks, however, that you will need to support your iPhone onto something stable if you're gonna attach this thing to it. Good thing they've thought of that too and so are offering a n additional iPod Touch/ iPhone stand supporting vertical and horizontal positions.

"Currently open to pricing suggestions from the public," so their site said. And do note that this is compatible with OS 3.0.

Head to their site via the source link below for more info on this product. Do drop them a line and suggest your price while you're there too.

Gameloft's Castle of Magic gets price drop on App Store

Karl B. — 2009-06-22T08:01:16-06:00

Here's another Gameloft-branded game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This one's called castle of Magic, and if you're a fan of old-school platformers, then this game should be right up your alley.

In the game, players can master numerous magical powers and transform into different forms. You can use the various forms to transform and attack your enemies, navigate the universe, and interact with environments in different ways.

The length is of concern, though. It's just five worlds long, although there are secret levels sprinkled about as well as collectible gems. Completionists will definitely get more mileage out of this game that those who just want to reach the end.

Castle of Magic is now available on the App Store for only US 4.99. This price drop might be for a limited time only, so you better grab it before it reverts to the regular US 5.99 price.

iPod Touch, iPhone game: Castle of Magic

QuickJump QuickPeek 77: Of new love-teams, friendships over, guilty verdict and fretting over new mediums

Mabie A. — 2009-06-21T18:00:20-06:00

We've had some heavy-hitting gaming news this past week, say for example Ghostbusters: The Video Game's very apparent graphics discrepancy on competing consoles Xbox 360 and PS3. But I'd have to say that the Industry News section of our QuickPeek is clearly the winner of the highlights award for our 77th issue.

From ratings boards to company love-teams, to digital distribution vs retailers, Obama's take on indoor (video)gaming versus outdoor frolicking, CEO slip-ups, cover-ups, retractions and apologies, threats to drop support for a console (as in, it's friendship over for Sony, Activision), we've got all the drama -- and more -- right here.

You know what to do.

In a week filled with industry news, we ended up with a rather sparse recap of the big PSP-specific news that graced the QJ.NET PSP blog. The PSP Go -- or rather, retailers who are feeling a bit miffed by Sony's decision to go download-only for the Go -- was there to pick up the slack. Game-wise, we got a couple more updates as Capcom gears up for this week's Monster Hunter Freedom Unite release as well as more import news and some pre-order goodies for Dissidia, as if fans didn't have enough reason to buy it. Read on for the rest of the PSP Weekend Warrior!

Link: PSP Weekend Warrior

It's leaner than the past couple of weeks' hauls, but we did see some great homebrew releases this week. After a long time of inactivity, Yoshihiro burst right back onto the homebrew scene with a work-in-progress showing of his 5.50 debug firmware for PSP-1000s. OK, not really a release but it's a start. Homebrew gaming, meanwhile, was mostly dominated by one update after another for Light Cycle 3D, a beautiful-looking 3D homebrew game that brings Tron's light cycle racing to the PSP in 3D. Read on for the rest of the PSP Homebrew Weekend Warrior!

Link: PSP Homebrew Weekend Warrior

Bobby Kotick is all about the bottom line and he's made no bones about it. The Activision CEO has continually called for a PS3 price cut (which one would assume isn't because of a sense of altruism on Kotick's part), and since Sony isn't budging on that issue, he's starting to throw the full weight of Activision around. You can read all about the back-and-forth between Activision and Sony as well as all the other big PS3 news this week in this edition of the PS3 Weekend Warrior.

Link: PS3 Weekend Warrior

Hands down, the biggest news for this week coming from Microsoft would be the flub by their CEO, Steve Ballmer, at a conference, saying that a "new Xbox 360" will be released in 2010. Only to have his VPs and Directors come rushing forth to do some damage control before all hell breaks loose from disappointed fans who have been waiting and wishing and praying for a new console. It was a dark cloud that hung above the Xbox 360 state of affairs, casting heavy shadows on other news that came out, though not necessarily miniscule by themselves. See what I mean after the jump in this week's Warrior recap.

Link: Xbox 360 Weekend Warrior

This week's recap features a wide variety of news - from a TV spot, self-mutilation, pastries, and even sandwich bags trying to pass off as DSi accessories. While it's not the most gaming-dense rundown we've had, it certainly makes up for it with some amusement. Read on for the Nintendo Weekend Warrior.

Link: WiiDS Weekend Warrior

With the official release of the iPhone OS 3.0 earlier this week, this week's iPhone Weekend Warrior is packed with news regarding the new firmware. If you've been lagging behind the updates, read on and walk yourself through the details and the issues surrounding OS 3.0.

Link: iPhone Weekend Warrior

Industry News:

Just a month after Square Enix officially acquired Eidos, the two companies have now announced that they are looking into working together for a new IP. No less than the CEOs of both companies have conceded in an interview that "it's possible". This should be something worth watching out for.

Link: Square Enix and Eidos working on IP together

Here's another tandem that should come up with some pretty interesting results. Also resulting from a newly-forged partnership, this time through a merger, Koei Tecmo has announced that they will be combining new titles to launch a new game. Which ones should make a good pair, do you think?

Link: Koei Tecmo combining titles to launch a new game

Technology just keeps on evolving, particularly in this industry, and therefore it is imperative for the players in it to well-prepared to adapt. Ubisoft is one such company seemingly always ready for the big change as CEO Yves Guillemot announced that they are now ready for the next console generation. However, amidst the spurring motion controls race, he feels that traditional controls are still the best way to go.

Link: Guillemot: Ubisoft ready for next console generation, traditional controls still the best

After months of debating as to which ratings board should be applied, PEGI has won on a clear vote over BBFC, to be hailed as the lone UK standard for game ratings. Acting quick on the resolution, PEGI then came public with their new rating symbols for Europe. The industry agrees with it, citing PEGI's influence across many countries in the region. As for BBFC, they send their congratulations, albeit with the barb that they still believe they are the better choice.

Link: Goodbye BBFC: PEGI is now the UK standard for game ratings
Link: PEGI reveals new ratings symbols for Europe
Link: BBFC: Congrats to PEGI, but we're still better; industry reacts to verdict

Here on our side of the fence, there's also some ratings drama stirring up, though not to the same degree as the BBFC-PEGI face-off. Rather, it's ESRB wanting to extend its reach even to downloadable games, particularly those on the App Store. Thing is, Apple's got their own ratings board for that.

Link: ESRB planning to go mobile, wants to rate App Store games too

US President Barack Obama dips into the gaming activities of kids once more, stating that the young ones should spend more time playing outside rather than staying cooped up indoors playing video games. It's all for the sake of staying healthy, he says. But with the advent of motion controls in video games, keeping one's body busy with activity shouldn't be an issue any longer, I reckon.

Link: Obama: Less video games and more playing outside for kids

It's a sad ending to a tragic story. After being convicted guilty of shooting his parents, resulting to the death of his mother, "Halo Killer" Daniel Patric was finally sentenced to life imprisonment by the court. His father, remaining by his son's side despite the heinous crime he did upon them, asked for leniency from the court because of his age at the time of the murder. The court took this into consideration and so made him eligible for parole in 23 years.

Link: 23 years to life sentenced to 'Halo Killer' Daniel Petric

Even after the company's shut down, it's very unfortunate that they're still being hounded by legal troubles. Factor 5 is now being sued by their former employees on the grounds of fraudulent behavior in order to get out of paying their debts.

Link: Factor 5 being sued by ex-employees for fraud

Here's something fun. Celebrating the anniversary of the Gundam franchise, Tokyo has set up a humongous Gundam robot in the city to watch over and protect the people from possible evil-doers. No laser rays have been reported coming from the robot as of now, nor has the robot wandered off to explore the city. Judging from his height, his vantage point ought to give him a nice view of Tokyo anyway.

Link: Full-size Gundam in Tokyo now moves

Digital distribution is fairly common nowadays. But with the companies getting more aggressive about their digital distribution campaigns, ie. Sony and their UMD-less PSP Go, is there now a reason for retailers to be worried? Analysts say GameStop still has no reason to be threatened by this new medium -- yet.

Link: Analyst: GameStop not yet threatened by digital distribution

Jampacked, wasn't it? It'll be more fun if you stay with us for next week's recap. So keep 'em jumping and share your thoughts on those news that you think should matter.

Have a good new week!