With my very first game... which we now call a "test"... so I guess it isn't technically my first game. But whatever.

It's only going to be a few levels but it'll give you a taste of what's to come. Allow me to explain.

I had this idea for a 2d platformer early last year--an elaborate idea that I came up with while typing an email--and me and my programmer friend have been sloooowly working on it since then. We built everything from scratch. My friend built the engine using java and I built all of the graphics that you will see, save one or two temporary sprites that I may be too lazy to change. I came up with the idea and designed everything while my friend Robert did all of the tough programming. And we both learned a lot working on the game. A lot. So much so, in fact, that a couple of months ago we decided to to finish up work on the "test" game and get to work on a full version, with a completely new engine, completely new graphics sets, and tons of ideas that we couldn't get into this test and also ones that I came up with while we were working on it. So when you play this game, keep in mind that it is only a test and that the real game will be much, much, much better. I learned a lot about level design, balance, and fun while working on this test, and I hope to use that knowledge in the next game (the "real" version).

Whoever wants to play the game send me an email at prancetron2000@yahoo.com and I'll send you all of the files once we're finished (which should be within the next couple of weeks). I only want to send the game to people who have a decent gamepad (with key mapping software) because a keyboard will suck, and can give me some feedback on it.

Quote:REDWOOD CITY, Calif. & STOCKHOLM, Sweden--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 25, 2005--Electronic Arts EA Holding AB ("EA") today announced the completion of its offer to the shareholders of Digital Illusions CE AB (publ) ("DICE").

The acceptance period for EA's offer to the shareholders of DICE, made on November 15, 2004, expired on January 20. Shareholders with a total of 3,235,053 shares in DICE(1), including Bonnier & Bonnier AB and DICE employees with significant shareholdings, have accepted EA's offer. This corresponds to 32.0% of the outstanding capital and votes in DICE. In addition to the above-mentioned offer, EA has acquired 898,264 shares in the market corresponding to 8.9% of the capital and votes in DICE.

Together with the 18.9% of the outstanding capital and votes already held by EA, EA now holds a total of 6,044,720 shares, a controlling interest representing 59.8% of the outstanding capital and votes in DICE. Additionally, EA holds warrants in DICE priced at SEK 47.23 which, if exercised, would bring EA's holdings to 67.3% of DICE shares. EA has not yet declared its intentions on whether those warrants will be exercised.

EA declares that the conditions for the tender offer have been fulfilled. Payment of the offer price to shareholders who have tendered their shares pursuant to the offer will commence and the transaction will be completed on or about January 27, 2005.

EA reserves the right to acquire additional shares in DICE in the market.

(1) EA has also acquired the 1,500 warrants previously held by an individual in Canada. EA now controls all the 2,329,102 outstanding warrants in Digital Illusions. Each warrant entitles EA to subscribe for one Series A share.

Japan Charts: PSP overtakes DS
"The Japanese software market continues to slow down after the busy New Year period, with new GBA release Mario Party Advance taking the top spot while weekly sales of the PSP surpassed DS sales for the first time.

Mario Party Advance displaced PS2 title Gran Turismo 4 from the top spot, selling 68,000 units in its first week on sale, while only one other new release made it into the top ten - From Software's PS2 action title The Story of Hero Yoshitune, which sold 42,000 units and came in at number three.

All eyes, however, are on the battle between Sony's PSP and Nintendo's DS, which saw the PlayStation Portable pulling ahead of its rival in weekly hardware sales for the first time, taking just under 31 per cent market share as opposed to just over 25 per cent for the DS.

The DS, of course, still has a huge lead in terms of overall installed base, but its sales are slowing slightly after the initial rush - while demand for the PSP remains high, with Sony's limited shipments being snapped up as soon as they arrive at retail.

Nintendo's platform continues to dominate in terms of software sales, however, with Wario Ware: Touched! taking the number four slot in this week's ranking, ahead of Super Mario 64 DS at number seven.

Two PSP titles also make it into the top ten - Hot Shots Golf Portable at number eight and Dynasty Warriors at number ten - but how much of a sales boost this represents is tough to judge, given that overall software sales in Japan dropped by over 40 per cent this week.

It's certainly too early to judge the performance of either the DS or the PSP based on this data, as PlayStation Portable continues to be badly affected by supply shortages while the DS is a few weeks further into its cycle and has enjoyed good supplies all along, meaning that most early adopters who want one already have a console at this point.

One thing is certain, though - the arrival of the DS and PSP has hurt sales of the Game Boy Advance, with the older handheld platform accounting for only nine per cent of the market last week. PlayStation 2, however, continues to dominate - leading the field with over 31 per cent market share."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/news.php?aid=6393

Following Take Two's publishing of the ESPN Sports games last year and then the announcement earlier today that they got the exclusive third party MLB liscence, now Take Two has bought Visual Concepts...

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/24/...17016.html

So who else is trapped indoors in this? They said as much as 3' of snow---but we only have between 1 & 2.

This will be a poll to see which of the two versions is preferred amongst us. Vote!

Quote:This is from some guy on the Nintendopower forums. He apparently was the first to give good DS specs before they were revealed...so this may be good.

There has been a TON of speculation on Nintendo's upcoming console but little is actually known about it. There are so many different ideas that no one really knows what to think. So here are some supposed "facts" about the Revolution. I can't reveal my source because I've been asked not to. Sorry guys. I would say that this info has at least a 65% chance of being accurate. My source has been right before and he's also been wrong. Here goes......

Ok first things first. Yes, Nintendo will utilize gyros in it's controllers. I think most people pretty much already took this as fact. Also, the Rev will indeed have dual processors. Also broadband is built in, no modem to buy. Nintendo has an online strategy in development. It will be implemented on the DS first. There are no current plans to connect the DS and the Rev....the GB Evolution on the other hand......

The Rev will have four controller ports. It will have a hard drive which will be used in much the same way as the 64DD was supposed to be used. Things like Dolby Digital 5.1 and high def monitor support are included. There is no type of virtual reality or any kind of headset planned. It is backwards compatible with Gamecube games. It will use the HD-DVD format and not Sony's Blu-Ray. Controllers are not wireless, but wireless controllers are planned. It will launch with an unnamed Mario game and work on Zelda has already begun. Super Smash Brothers is in mid development and will be a launch title.

Ok so what's the Revolutionary part? That's what you all want to know. Well my source wouldn't tell me. He said it would get him into too much trouble, and could give Sony and Microsoft an advantage at this stage in the game. But he did say this; "if you think too hard you'll never guess what it is. It's nothing "new" technically speaking. It's just something that hasn't really been applied to video games yet."

He then said "touching is good but feeling is better". What exactly that means I have no idea. Some sort of force feedback device? We already have rumble packs.

For more information on gyration technology, go to http://www.gyration.com

Looking pretty good.

Cube-Europe

Quote:Matt responds: I don't think the gamble was worth it. The original Viewtiful Joe sold 275,000 copies on GameCube and an additional 46,000 on PlayStation 2. Meanwhile, through December 2004, the GameCube version of Viewtiful Joe 2 sold through only 61,000 copies and the PS2 build a mere 18,000 copies. Not so hot, in other words.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=st...rotests_dc

Somthing I notice is that while alot of you even I at one point thought the french goverment was liberal , Apparently they conciderd it "conservatism".
I think maybe you have confused frenchism with liberalism in this situation.