No more Folding@Home and Linux for PlayStation 3

PlayStation 3 firmware v3.21 to be released on April 1st 2010 will disable ‘Install Other OS’ functionality. Reason for removal was security concerns. Install Other OS functionality was recently removed from the newer and slimmer PS3 model. With this newer firmware all updated PS3 will not have Install Other OS functionality. This means no Folding@Home and Linux. The current SCE seems to be undoing all noble intents that the father of PlayStation Ken Kutaragi did for it. Sony seems to be crawling back to their proprietary root once again.

Nintendo 3DS Announced

From Kyoto Japan, Nintendo released a PR on the announcement of Nintendo 3DS, the successor of Nintendo DSi. It will feature glasses-free 3D solution and backward compatibility with Nintendo DS. It is currently unknown how well the 3D solution will be, but this is not Nintendo first 3D solution, their last one was the ill-fated Virtual Boy. Set for released before fiscal year ending March 2011 in Japan and the rest of the world will follow soon as soon. It is currently unknown what will be under the hood, but it was rumour that NVIDIA maybe providing their 3D expertise. Wether that's true or not remain to be seen. It is also rumoured that Sharp will be providing 3D screen for Nintendo 3DS. Apparently, Sharp demo the technology to Nintendo years ago and Nintendo were so impressed by it and thus Nintendo 3DS is born. Expect more news soon and additional details at E3 2010.

NVIDIA GTX480 Minimum 600W

The much anticipated and delayed NVIDIA DirectX 11 flagship Solution GTX480 will require greater than 600W PSU with minimum 12V current rating of 42A. For comparison EVGA Classified SR-2 1200W PSU announced recently, its 12V rails is rated at 38A. Gamers wanting to put one of this into their rig, should check the specs of their PSU. However getting GTX480 maybe more difficult compare to finding PSU that meets its minimum requirement. There have been reports that NVIDIA is having poor yield in producing this 3+ billions transistors chip. Still scheduled for release next week, every gamers will find out soon enough, if this is the card to have in your rig.

International Cricket 2010 Announced

Codemasters announced International Cricket 2010 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to be released later this year. Developed by Australian developer Trickstar Games, International Cricket 2010 promises new Action Cam that will immerse players in all the on-pitch drama, intensity and excitement of cricket and Power Stick will give players ability to control batsmen via 360 degree analogue power and direction control while offering the widest selection of shots. International Cricket 2010 boasts official players roasters from 16 nations thanks to its official license. If players aren’t satisfied, there will be comprehensive players editor for customising the game. Players can select from 21 stadiums from around the world including the SCG and MCG.

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd

Capcom has officially announced Monster Hunter 3rd for PSP for released before the end of 2010. With each instalment moving at least a million units in Japan, Monster Hunter Portable is one of the only PSP series listed alone in the multi-million sellers list plaque and add to that the awards and accolades that it has won. The announcement of this third instalment is huge news across Japan for the ‘Monster Hunter craze crowd’. According to producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Yasunori Ichinose, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd is being developed from scratch. It is not a port nor based on the most recent Monster Hunter 3 for the Wii. It will offer improved monster graphics and animations, as well as refreshing new take on the Monster Hunter franchise.

Playing as a hunter, monsters tracking in the wild while cooperating with other hunters are still a big part of the game. Offering new village, new regions, new weapons, new armours and new monsters to slay, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd is hoping to satisfy old and new players alike.

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown

Sega announced Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown at AOU2010. Virtua Fighter Official site has a preview video that gives glimpses of some of the changes in this final iteration of Virtua Fighter 5. It’s predecessor Virtua Fighter 5R introduced a new character Karateka Jean and reintroduced an old Sumo fan favourite Taka-Arashi. There doesn’t seems to be any new characters in Final Showdown, but it gives glimpses of many new animations as well as different moves and hit properties that makes the games new again and perhaps gives a preview of the direction in gameplay that Virtua Fighter 6 will take. From the short video characters don’t appears to float unnaturally anymore in like previous instalments but go into different staggers animations as they receives hits from the opponents. Maybe Taka-Arashi will be as difficult to knock down as he was in Virtua Fighter 3. He seems to be immune from knock down in the video, but this is early days, things will change as Sega-AM2 rebalances the games constantly.

Details are scarce now but with the expected arrival of around mid-year, they will trickle through sooner than later. It is safe to assume that Final Showdown will feature modified stages as well as many upon many new items. There is also a question mark on console ports, with arcade on life support in Japan and graveyard in developed countries, console ports are normally a given but Sega did not port VF5R as it remains arcade exclusive. More news on Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown as they come.

Resident Evil Shinji Mikami ‘Tango’ in Tokyo

Shinji Mikami opened his new games development studio, ‘Tango’ in Tokyo on March 1, 2010 with 13 employees comprised of former staffs from Grasshopper Manufacturer, Square Enix and Capcom. Mikami is currently working as freelance director with Platinum Games and Sega on Vanquish for PS3 and Xbox 360. He plans to grow his studio into 100 strong staffs within five to seven years. Down the road, he hopes to create a 3D horror game. That’s 3D horror that pops out of the screen 3D. Mikami wants to create one major brand where it will define its own genre. Currently his studio is working on small budget development where ideas are everything. In this economic climate starting, a new studio is highly risky business venture, but if there is one person that can withstand against the economic trend is this veteran Shinji Mikami, the best of luck, Mikami-san.