IllumiRoom To Take Gaming Visuals Outside the Box and Onto the Living Room

May 3rd, 2013, 16:57 Posted By: wraggster

At CES in January, Microsoft Research teased its IllumiRoom concept, which involves projecting an image around a TV screen to enhance video games with additional visuals. Unfortunately, the company didn't offer much info beyond a short video that briefly showed it in action. But the team behind the project recently showed up at the CHI 2013 conference in Paris with some more in-depth details about how IllumiRoom will not only expand the game screen, but completely alter the appearance of your living room.

http://games.slashdot.org/story/13/0...he-living-room

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South Korean MPs plot to regulate 'addictive online games'

May 3rd, 2013, 16:54 Posted By: wraggster

New bill groups games with drugs, alcohol and gambling

A South Korea politician backed by 14 MPs has proposed a bill to labelling online games as a source of addiction and calling for the strict regulation on the sector.
Gamemeca reports, as translated by Kotaku, that Saenuri Party MP Shin Eui-jin has grouped online games with addictive substances such as drugs and alcohol, as well as gambling.

It is claimed that the bill states the governing body should be able to “regulate manufacturing, distribution and sale of addictive substances and also limit the promotion of them".
This could result in more stringent rules on the type of content developers can create in South Korea, and may also affect the marketing of online games.
“It is regretful that the government views games in the same category as drugs and gambling,” said one developer to Inews24.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...e-online-games

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Blockbuster to celebrate comeback with bank holiday promotions

May 3rd, 2013, 16:50 Posted By: wraggster

Revived retailer Blockbuster is set to stage a host of promotional events to celebrate the brand's return to the UK High Street.
The entertainment brand will kick off a programme of aggressive marketing this bank holiday, providing customers with a variety of offers designed to drive footfall and reintroduce shoppers to the Blockbuster brand.
Deals include the opportunity to rent any new movie release for one night for £1.99, whilst further offers will become available throughout the weekend.
Additionally, Blockbuster plans to extend its product offering to new markets, including music and books, which the firm believes will compliment its position as an entertainment retailer.
Blockbuster Managing Director Gary Warren said: “We are absolutely focused on building Blockbuster to be a long-term proposition."
"There is a very real gap in the market for an entertainment specialist and, with its strong brand recognition and heritage, Blockbuster is perfectly placed to capitalise on this."
"We are committed to supporting all of our 264 stores and hope to eventually grow the business and create jobs in the local area.”
Blockbuster was saved from administration last month as the brand was acquired by restructuring specialist Gordon Brothers Europe, saving 2,000 jobs and 264 Blockbuster stores.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...motions/030874

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Japanese chart: Tomb Raider and BioShock Infinite debut

May 2nd, 2013, 01:12 Posted By: wraggster

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, Tomb Raider and BioShock Infinite were among the new entries on the Japanese software chart during the week ended April 28.

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The PS3 versions of Capcom's RPG, Square Enix's action game and Take-Two's shooter placed at No.2, No.4 and No.10 respectively, while the Xbox 360 editions of Dark Arisen and Bioshock Infinite came in at No.13 and No.17.Tomodachi Collection held the No.1 position on the software chart for the second week running, while 3DS remained the best-selling system, according to Media Create data published onNeoGAF.Software sales (lifetime total)

1. Tomodachi Collection: New Life (3DS, Nintendo) - 144.903 / 549.761
2. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (PS3, Capcom) - 125.363 / New
3. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (3DS, Nintendo) - 38.884 / 596.155
4. Tomb Raider (PS3, Square Enix) - 35.250 / New
5. Steins;Gate: Senkei Kousoku no Phonogram (PS3, 5pb.) - 34.292 / New
6. Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS, Nintendo) - 31.711 / 3.128.270
7. PhotoKano Kiss (Vita, Kadokawa Games) - 30.172 / New
8. Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon Portable (PSP, Kadokawa Games) - 26.030 / New
9. Naruto Shippuden: Narutimate Storm 3 (PS3, Bandai Namco) - 17.836 / 105.496
10. Bioshock Infinite (PS3, Take-Two) - 15.747 / New

Hardware sales (previous week's total)

1. 3DS - 55.433 (75.922)
2. Vita - 21.399 (15.011)
3. PS3 - 14.682 (13.915)
4. Wii U - 8.262 (8.798)
5. PSP - 7.536 (7.816)
6. Wii - 1.660 (1.379)
7. Xbox 360 - 490 (515)
8. Total - 109.462 (123.356)

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...nfinite-debut/

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Mario Party 9 and Animal Crossing named in Guardian's violent games Axis of Evil

May 2nd, 2013, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster

Call of Duty, Halo 4, Far Cry, Borderlands – all violent games, yes, but the real damage is being done by those that conceal their violence behind a duplicitous family-friendly wrapping.
Yesterday The Guardian published a feature entitled ‘Violence and guns in best-selling video games’ that, to be fair to it, included an absolutely LOVELY interactive graph.
The point of it was to highlight the violent content of last year’s 50 best selling games. According to VGChartz.
Select the likes of Call of Duty: Black Ops II and the pretty wavy lines link to Content Label tags reading ‘Intense Violence’, ‘Strong Language’, ‘Blood and Gore’, ‘Suggestive Themes’, ‘Use of Drugs’ as well as seven tags in the Weapons section – ‘handgun or pistol’, ‘shotgun or rifle’, ‘grenade or explosive’, ‘machine gun’, ‘sniper rifle’, ‘launcher’ and ‘assault rifle’.
The likes of Assassin’s Creed III add ‘Sexual Themes’ and ‘dagger or tomahawk’ to the mix while Mass Effect 3 ticks the ‘Partial Nudity’ and ‘Sexual Content’ boxes.
The real surprise, though, is the number of titles picked up for their alleged violent content. These include the likes of gore-fests Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Mario Kart Wii (Comic Mischief), the barbaric trio of Just Dance 3, Zumba Fitness and Gran Turismo 5 (Lyrics), the blood-thirsty Mario Party 9 and Kinect Sports (Cartoon Violence) and the explicitly vicious Wii Sports (Violence).
Only six games succeed in avoiding any violent tagging – FIFA 13, Kinect Adventures, Madden 13, NBA 2K13, FIFA 12 and Forza 4.
On this basis only 32 per cent of the 50 listed titles contained no violence while 38 per cent were classified as E (Everyone) by the ESRB. 38 per cent contained realistic firearms – which is perhaps less than you would have thought?
Perhaps the real villain, however, is not The Guardian but instead the ESRB, which ultimately is the body, that decided on the content warnings that dictated the data.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/mario...f-evil/0114959

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Google Glass Is the Future — and the Future Has Awful Battery Life

May 2nd, 2013, 00:22 Posted By: wraggster

The concept of wearable tech is really buzzing right now as pundits tout smart eyewear, watches and other connected devices as the future of tech. It makes sense, of course — smartphone growth is slowing and people need something to hold on to — but the early 'Explorer' version of Google's highly anticipated Google Glass headset has major problem that could be a big barrier for widespread adoption: Awful battery life."Also, a review of the hardware. The current Glass hardware heads south in less than five hours, which doesn't seem too short relative to similarly powerful devices, but since it is meant to be worn all the time you'd think it would have a large enough battery to make it at least 8 or 10 hours.

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/1...l-battery-life

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Genius to showcase pro-gaming GX range at PCR Boot Camp

May 2nd, 2013, 00:04 Posted By: wraggster

Peripherals and accessories specialist Genius is taking its latest gaming gear to PCR Boot Camp, a conference and expo for technology retailers on Wednesday May 29th.
“At Boot Camp we will be featuring our range of Genius input devices, audio products and mobile computing accessories together with our new GX-Gaming range for the Pro Gamer,” said Stuart Pullen, sales and marketing manager at Genius.
A wide range will be on display, including but not limited to the Cavimanus headset, DeathTaker mouse, Gila mouse,? GX-Control mouse pad, GX-Speed mouse pad,?Imperator Pro keyboard,?Mordax headset, SW-G2.1 1250 speaker, SW-G2.1 3000 speaker.
PCR Boot Camp, in association with Microsoft, is due to take place on Wednesday May 29^th at The Brewery on Chiswell Street in London.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...ot-camp/030855

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Google helps you get acquainted with Glass UI in how-to video

May 1st, 2013, 01:56 Posted By: wraggster

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Nook makes huge push into UK ereader market with large discounts

May 1st, 2013, 01:01 Posted By: wraggster

Nook has cut the price of its standard e-reader drastically as it seeks to make a big push into the UK marketplace.
Head over to uk.nook.com now for the discounted price.
Nook has emailed the offer out, but has also cut the price at key retailers including Argos and Sainsbury's (currently out of stock at the latter).
The brand has been available in the UK since September of last year, including the Nook Simple Touch that features in this offer, but grabbing attention away from Amazon's Kindle or the Kobo hasn't been easy.
A look at the Hot UK Deals forum suggests there will be a lot more of them in readers' hands very shortly.
"NOOK Simple Touch puts the focus on reading instead of the technology, "said Jamie Iannone, president of Digital Products at Barnes & Noble at the time of the launch.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...scounts/030853

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Mega Online Deals for April 29th 2013

April 30th, 2013, 00:15 Posted By: wraggster

• Star Wars: The Original Trilogy ($33) | Amazon
• Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy ($33) | Amazon
• Family Guy Star Wars Trilogy ($17.50) | Amazon
• Star Trek (2009) ($10) | Amazon | Lowest ever
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Movie Collection ($30) | Amazon
• Pre-order Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 ($60) | Amazon
• Star Trek: The Original Series Movie Collection ($40) | Best Buy
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture ($10) | Amazon | Lowest ever
• Star Trek: The Original Series Individual Films ($10) | Best Buy
• Iron Man ($10) | Amazon | Lowest ever
• Iron Man 2 ($10) | Amazon | Lowest ever
• From Dusk till Dawn 1+2 ($7) | Amazon
• Band of Brothers ($33) | Amazon
• Star Trek (2009) [DVD] ($5) | Amazon
Tech


• Shure SRH2040A Professional Headphones($40) | Amazon via Tech Deal Digger | $60+ elsewhere
• Fab.com has Marshall Headphones on sale.
Here are some $4 earbuds.
• VM Audio Earbuds ($4) | eBay (VMInnovations) via c|net | $5 elsewhere
The rare sale on the newest iPad.
• 16GB iPad 4th Gen. Wifi ($450) | eBay | Normally $500
• Casio G-Shock Digital Watch ($39) | Amazon | $50+ elsewhere, lowest ever
• JBL OnBeat Air Speaker Dock [iPad/iPhone] ($75) | Amazon | $105+ elsewhere

• Bamboo Solo Stylus [iPad] ($15) | Amazon | $30 elsewhere
• Today Only 3-pack 3' Lightning Cable($8) | Daily Steals
• Sony Bravia 55" 240Hz 1080p 3D LED HDTV ($1244) | Abe's of Maine | Next best is $1435 | Use codeLOYALTY15
• LG 47" 1080p 129Hz 3D LED HDTV with Soundbar and 4 3D Glasses ($650) | Dell | Next best is $700
• Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080p Projector ($900) | Epson | Originally $1200
• Dell UltraSharp 21.5" 1080p IPS LED Monitor ($160) | Newegg | Next best is $209 | Use code EMCYTZT3372
• Samsung Smart Wi-fi GPS 3D Digital Camera ($251) | Amazon | Next best is $269
• Canon PowerShot 16.1MP Wifi CMOS Digital Camera with 1080p and Touch Panel LCD($118) | Amazon | $148+ elsewhere
• 1.5TB Western Digital My Passport ($90) | Amazon | Originally $130
• Lowepro Fastpack 250 Camera/Laptop Backpack ($49) | TigerDirect | $116+ elsewhere
• Apple Macbook Pro with Retina Display 13.3" with upgrade to $256GB SSD ($1480) | MacMall | Normally $1700
• Cuisiaid ProDigital Kitchen Scale ($10) | Amazon | Originally $25
• Garmin nuvi 50 5" Portable GPS ($80) | Amazon | $90+ elsewhere, lowest ever
• Belkin 7-port USB 2.0 Plus Hub ($21) | Amazon | $34+ elsewhere
• Syma S107 R/C Helicopter in various colors (~$19) | Amazon
Rigged

I am a big fan of these free games with PC parts deals.
• Vector SSD + FREE Far Cry 3 (starting at $140) | Newegg
• Windows 8 OEM ($80) | Newegg | Originally $100
• HP Envy Phoenix i7-3770, GeForce GT630 2GB, 8GB RAM, Blu-ray Gaming Desktop($860) | HP | USe codeDT6328
• Today Only G.Skill Ripjaws 8GB 240-pin DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory ($49) | Newegg via Deals
Windows/Mac

• FREE Velvet Assassin [Mac] | Mac App Store

• Bundle Unreal Indie [Steam] ($20) | Steam | Normally $80 | 7 games includingUnmechanical and Dungeon Defenders
• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning + DLC[Origin] ($9) | GamersGate | Normally $30 | Use code elder-geek.comfor another 5% off
• Stealth Bastard Deluxe [Steam] ($5) | Steam | Normally $10
• Closure [Steam] ($3) | Steam | Normally $10
• Bundle Legacy of Kain Collection [Steam] ($4.50) | GamersGate | Beatsyesterday's already crazy-low price from Square-Enix.
• Today Only Painkiller Black Edition [DRM-free] ($4) | GOG.com | Normally $10
• Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes ($10) | Gamefly | Use code GFD20OFF
Green Man Gaming [Steam] | Use code GMG20-GGN5D-FC3NA
• Last Day Tomb Raider ($20) | $25+ elsewhere, lowest ever.
• Bundle Tomb Raider Collection ($12) | Normally $60 | 9 games
• Mafia II Complete Pack ($9) | Normally $53
• Bundle Bully and Manhunt ($5) | Normally $25
<del style="box-sizing: border-box;">• Last Day Hitman: Absolution ($8) | $20+ elsewhere</del>
• Bundle Total War Grandmaster Collection ($33) | Normally $165 | 7 games
• Bundle Just Cause 1+2 ($5) | Normally $25
• Binary Domain Complete Pack ($5.79) | Best we've seen before is the base game for $5
• Bioshock: Infinite ($46) | Green Man Gaming | Normally $60
Playstation 3
• Injustice: Gods Among Us ($35+shipping) | Toys R' Us | Normally $60
• Today Only Rocksmith Guitar and Bass ($25) | Best Buy
• Battlefield 3 ($20) | Amazon via Deals | Tied for lowest ever
• Dishonored ($30) | Amazon
• XCOM: Enemy Unknown ($29) | Amazon | Normally $40
Xbox 360

• Injustice: Gods Among Us ($35+shipping) | Toys R' Us | Normally $60
• Tomb Raider Survival/Collector's Edition($70) | Amazon | Normally $100
• Today Only Rocksmith Guitar and Bass($25) | Best Buy
• Battlefield 3 ($20) | Amazon via Deals | Tied for lowest ever
• Dishonored ($30) | Amazon
• Crysis 3 ($31) | Amazon | $40+ elsewhere | Go like this page on Facebook for the coupon and enter it at checkout.
• XCOM: Enemy Unknown ($29) | Amazon | Normally $40
• Xbox 360 250GB with Darksiders 2 and Arkham City ($265) | Target
Wii U
• Injustice: Gods Among Us ($35+shipping) | Toys R' Us | Normally $60
• ZombiU ($40) | Best Buy | Must be a Reward Zone member, which is free.
• Harvest Moon Animal Parade [Wii] + Tree of Tranquility [Wii] + Plush Duck ($35) | Groupon via
Playstation Vita

• Unit 13 ($15) | Amazon | Normally $30
• Hot Shots Golf World Invitational ($10) | TigerDirect | $17+ elsewhere
3DS

• 3DS XL Pink + Crosswords + Accessories ($180) | Walmart Deals |
iOS


I really enjoyed this game which is like a mature Angry Birds with an awesome art style.
• Today Only FREE Stay Alight HD [iPad] | iTunes
Android

• Today Only FREE Galazer + $1 MP3 Credit | Amazon
Inventory

• NewAir Ice Cream Maker ($105) | woot! | Originally $150
• American Eagle Buy One Get One 50% off combined with 20% off purchase | American Eagle | Use code 20496091
• Buy 2 Mattel Games, get $10 off | Amazon
Incoming Mother's Day.
• 1800Flowers $15 for $30 OR $20 for $40 | AmazonLocal
Get a jump on Halloween.
• Hundreds of Costumes ($10) | BuyCostumes
Not the most exciting deal but it's stuff you're gonna need eventually.
• Buy 3, Get 1 Free Office Supplies | Amazon
• Swiss Tech Micro Max 19-in-1 Clamshell Tool Kit ($8) | eBay (TigerDirect) | $13+ elsewhere

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UK charts: Dead Island Riptide makes debut at number one

April 29th, 2013, 20:54 Posted By: wraggster

Dead Island Riptide has entered the UK retail charts at the top, outselling last week’s number one Injustice and fellow new entry Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen.Riptide claims the number one spot despite selling less than half the original’s game sales when it claimed the top spot in its launch week in 2011. 71% of the game’s sales were for Xbox 360, which includes the special Zombie Bait Edition.Digital Extremes’ Star Trek title also makes its first appearance in the charts this week at number four, while Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins on 3DS enters the chart for the first time at number eight. PS3 exclusive Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut also made its chart debut, at number 38.The Ukie charts compiled by ChartTrack for the week ending April 27 are as follows – follow the links for reviews of each title.1. Dead Island Riptide
2. Injustice: Gods Among Us
3. Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
4. Star Trek
5. Tomb Raider
6. Bioshock Infinite
7. FIFA 13
8. LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins
9. Defiance
10. Luigi’s Mansion 2

http://www.edge-online.com/news/uk-c...at-number-one/

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Microsoft's Illumiroom turns living room into game

April 29th, 2013, 15:56 Posted By: wraggster

Tech 'could be developed into a next generation game console'

Microsoft’s IllumiRoom tech will turn the living room into part of the game experience, state new details on the project.
Microsoft said the technology would act as a coffee table projector, displaying the game image beyond the TV screen, and will be compatible with next-gen consoles.

In a paper for the CHI conference in Paris, the computing giant stated that images displayed outside of the constraints of the TV screen will be displayed in low-resolution instead of the usual high-definition for the user’s peripheral vision.
The document also states that the project will recognise the uneven surfaces surrounding the TV, such as furniture and wallpaper, and will use this information to “create novel, interactive visual experiences”.
It also suggests the concept “could be developed into a next generation game console with game content designer from the ground up”, or that it could be utilised as an add-on for existing consoles, with users able to write scripts for modding games.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...room-into-game

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World's first 55-inch curved TV launched by LG

April 29th, 2013, 15:47 Posted By: wraggster

Back at CES in January, LG and Samsung both showed off curved OLED TVs. LG has now beat Samsung to the market by kicking off pre-orders for the 55EA9800.
The 55-inch TV measures 4.3 millimetres in thickness and weighs 17 kilograms. It features LG’s WRGB and Colour Refiner technologies.
LG says the curved TV brings an IMAX-like experience to the home. This means the entire screen surface is equidistant from the viewer’s eyes and intends to reduce distortion and blur.
LG has also used transparent thin-film speakers that spread the TV’s audio abilities across the front of the stand.
Pre-orders for South Korea have started today (April 29th) and will set you back 15 million KRW ($13,500). Pricing and availability in other markets will be announced ‘in the months ahead’.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...d-by-lg/030832

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rpix86 v0.07 released! - Dos(PC) Emulator for RaspBerry Pi Released

April 28th, 2013, 22:35 Posted By: wraggster

via http://rpix86.patrickaalto.com/rblog.html

Improvements in the new version
This version does not have any new features, it has just various small fixes and improvements, mainly affecting certain games. Here is a list of the changes:

Fixed a potential crash when a game moves the cursor far outside the screen area.
Implemented a dummy OUT 82,AL operation (Alone In The Dark).
Improved SB IRQ behaviour for short DMA buffers (Alone in the Dark).
Implemented a missing REP MOVSW Mode-X to RAM operation (Ween - The Prophecy).
Fixed a bug in REP MOVSW RAM to Mode-X operation (Ween - The Prophecy).
Implemented reading from DMA page register (Super Frog).
Implemented USE16 version of Mode-X REP STOSD opcode (Super Frog).
Implemented USE32 version of REP INSB opcode (Super Frog).
Implemented USE32 version of REP OUTSB opcode (Super Frog).
Added JPE special handling for "Super Frog".

Further detail about the changes
In the beginning of last week I got some error logs from rpix86 forum user Vanfanel, containing problems in games Alone in the Dark, Ween - The Prophecy and Super Frog. I began by troubleshooting Alone in the Dark, as I already had that game and it works fine in DSx86. However, as soon as I started it in rpix86, the whole rpix86 crashed with a segmentation fault. I could not even get an error debug log, which I thought was a bit strange.


Being able to run my emulator on top of a real operating system has the advantage that I can attach the GDB debugger to it from a different shell session, and I can then have GDB tell me exactly where the program crashes. With DSx86 and DS2x86 these problems have been much harder to track down, as they will simply hang the whole system in similar situations. In this case the debugger showed that rpix86 tried to draw the text mode blinking cursor outside of the memory block I had allocated for the text mode screen. I calculate the cursor position based on the row and column values, but had not limited those in any way. So if a game decides to hide the cursor by moving it to row 255 for example, my code simply tried to draw it there, even though the text mode only has at most 50 rows, and normally only 25. I added an out of bounds check and skipped the cursor drawing if the address is out of bounds, and this got rid of the crash.

After this small fix I got the exact same rpix86dbg.log error report from Alone in the Dark as what Vanfanel had reported to me. This was caused by the game trying to setup Sound Blaster with DMA channel 3 instead of the DMA channel 1 (which it actually uses in rpix86). I added a dummy handler for that DMA channel, but this only caused rpix86 to crash again with a segmentation fault. I again debugged this problem, and found out that the game executed code at the end of the RAM area (which was full of zeroes) and continued beyond the end of the RAM area! Obviously something much more serious was going on.

I do have various conditional debug defines in my cpu emulation sources, just for these kinds of problems. I enabled the "do not run zero code" and the "trace all opcodes" flags, and ran the game again. I found out that the game attempted to execute code at address FFEF:0008 forwards, and there it ran into zero code. After some more debugging I noticed that it jumps to that address when it tries to call the DOS INT 21h interrupt, and sure enough, some code had overwritten the int 21h vector to point to that invalid address!

I also have a memory watch feature built into rpix86, so I added a watch for the int21h vector address, and found out the code where it gets overwritten. It took me quite a while longer to understand what was going on, as I noticed that the root cause for the memory overwrite problems was that the game first allocates all available DOS memory, loads and executes another program, and after it exits the game again tries to allocate all available memory (of which there is none at this point), does not check whether the allocation succeeds and then proceeds to loading another program into memory that has not been allocated! This loading then obviously corrupts memory from all sorts of locations, including that int 21h address.

Since the game does work in DSx86, I began debugging it there and comparing the behaviour with what happens in rpix86. After considerable time I noticed that the first program that gets loaded is actually a Sound Blaster driver, and it exits with an error code if it can not determine the IRQ number for the Sound Blaster. It occurred to me that I had not run the Alone in the Dark hardware configuration option in rpix86. When I ran that, it detected only "Sound Blaster (no DMA)", even though it should have also detected "Sound Blaster (DMA)". Using the no DMA configuration allowed the game to start, though, but the audio was very bad.

So, obviously the problem was related to the game not detecting the SB IRQ number. After some more debugging I realized that the game does not set the playing frequency at all, and in rpix86 it gets left at zero, which will then never cause an IRQ to happen. In DSx86 I had (by chance) handled this situation better, and I copied the same handling to rpix86. This finally allowed the game to detect the proper Sound Blaster (DMA) audio device. The game does still not run very well, though. It has some weird slowdowns, so that it actually runs faster in DSx86! I have not yet managed to determine what causes these slowdowns, it looks like some sort of a timing issue.

The next game I debugged was the Ween - The Prophecy. It used a couple of somewhat more rare VGA Mode-X block moves, which I had not yet implemented in the code I had ported over from DSx86 and converted to be compatible with protected mode. I implemented these operations, and this allowed Ween to start up and proceed to the actual game fine.

Next I downloaded and tested Super Frog. The first problem was simple, it attempted to read from the Sound Blaster DMA page register, which I just had not implemented yet. After I implemented this, it proceeded to the next problem, where it attempted to clear the Mode-X graphics screen using a 16-bit REP MOVSD block operation. I had only implemented the 32-bit version which is usually used by protected mode games, but for some reason Super Frog wanted to use the 16-bit version even when it ran in 32-bit protected mode. This was pretty easy to implement, though.

After that problem Super Frog stopped into protected mode REP INSB port operation, which it used to read the VGA palette register values, and immediately after that into the corresponding REP OUTSB operation used to set the VGA palette register values. These were also easy to implement.

Finally the game stopped into a JPE opcode, in a code that was exactly like the routine mentioned in the Simply FPU tutorial for reducing an angle within the allowable range of ±263 radians. That is, the game obviously uses a lot of floating point operations, which are currently simply handled as a no operation in rpix86. At this point I assumed that this game can not be made to run in current rpix86, but I decided to code support for this specific algorithm anyways.

After this fix, to my surprise, the game did start up and did seem to work. I don't know how to play that game so I don't know whether it uses floating point operations during the game so that it will be unplayable, but I will leave that to you to test. :-)

I also spent a little time testing X-Wing, which seemed to work without problems, and also the horizontal pan jitter problem in Commander Keen 1. This jitter problem is difficult to solve, and I could not figure out a way to improve it in this version yet.

New web site features
Last week I also got a request to add a donate button to my rpix86 pages. Thus, I added one at the bottom of the main page. This is not a request for you to donate anything, but there is now a button for that purpose if for some reason you absolutely want to donate. :-)

Also, big thanks to Ben Garrett, who created a very informative tutorial for rpix86 installation and usage. The tutorial also gives a short history lesson about what DOS is, so check it out! I added a link to the tutorial also to my FAQ page.

In other news...
Last week I also got contacted by the people behind the new gaming console Game Consoles Worldwide Zero, or GCW-Zero for short. They would like me to port my x86 emulator also to their new device, and this is something that I find quite interesting. The device is powered by an Ingenic JZ4770 CPU running at 1GHz, so it is quite a bit more powerful than the 360MHz JZ4740 that is in the DSTwo flash cart for which I developed the DS2x86 version of my emulator. However, both of those processors use the MIPS32 architecture, so it should be relatively easy for me to port my DS2x86 code (which is 95% MIPS32 ASM) over to work on GCW-Zero.

I have already done some preliminary porting tests, and there are some issues that I need to solve to be able to run my emulator under an operating system, but these issues are reasonably similar to what I had to do when porting DSx86 over to rpix86. What this means, though, is that it looks like my finishing my Android port will get pushed back, as I am currently more interested in working on GCW-Zero than on my continuing the ax86 version. But who knows, possibly I can use some new features (that are coded in C language) in both of them!

Anyways, thanks again for your interest in my emulators! Have a nice 1st of May!

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Oculus Rift already has a Virtual Boy emulator

April 28th, 2013, 22:29 Posted By: wraggster



While the Oculus Rift is currently the world's great hope for a future lived inside digital spaces, it's not the first stereoscopic box developers have asked us to cram our faces into. For most of us, that honor goes to Nintendo's Virtual Boy, herald of vectorized headaches (in 3D!) to 700,000 or so hopeful people with $180.

If you're one of the lucky people with an Oculus Rift development kit, however, you can now recreate that ol' black-and-red magic with VBjin-ovr, a freeware Virtual Boy emulator for the Oculus Rift. As seen in this video from YouTuberCymatic Bruce, wherein VBjin-ovr is used to play the obscure first-person survival horror game Insane Mouse Mansion, the Rift primarily functions as a head-mounted display, as Virtual Boy games have no use for the device's various bells and head-tracking whistles.

Still, the experience seems about as accurate as one could hope for without the real deal. Is there an Excedrin emulator out there?

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/oc...-boy-emulator/

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Google releases Glass kernel GPL source, lets developers have at it

April 27th, 2013, 22:56 Posted By: wraggster

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Eric Schmidt: Google Glass Critics 'Afraid of Change,' Society Will Adapt

April 27th, 2013, 22:52 Posted By: wraggster

Eric Schmidt came to Harvard this week to discuss his new book, but many students really wanted to know more about the implications for privacy and social interaction once Google Glass starts hitting the market. Schmidt cautioned against jumping to the worst conclusions, saying that society always tends to adapt to new technologies — and he's hoping for etiquette rather than government regulation. Of course, that's what you would say if you used to run a company that has been fined and paid settlements to regulators for the way it scoops up data and tracks users. But Schmidt also doesn't have much patience for critics: 'Criticisms are inevitably from people who are afraid of change, or who have not figured out that there will be an adaptation of society.'

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/04...ety-will-adapt

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EVE Online dev reveals Oculus Rift-based space dogfighting 'experience'

April 27th, 2013, 01:37 Posted By: wraggster

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Google Glass easter egg reveals the team that built it

April 26th, 2013, 01:15 Posted By: wraggster

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Tomodachi Collection boosts 3DS XL in Japan

April 26th, 2013, 01:13 Posted By: wraggster

Handheld sales double as Nintendo release shifts 400,000 in debut week
Nintendo's Tomodachi Collection: New Life sold more than 400,000 units in its first week on sale in Japan.
According to data released by Media Create, the 3DS release was a comfortable victor in last week's chart, with the second place game, Namco Bandai's Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, selling only 87,000 copies.
Other notable new entries in the software chart were Sega's Seven Dragon 2020 II, which sold 73,000 units, and Idea Factory's Amnesia Crowd, which sold 34,000.
And Nintendo's 3DS XL handheld felt the benefit of Tomodachi Collection's success, doubling its sales over the prior week to hit 57,000 units.
The full software chart is below, with life-to-date sales in parentheses:

• 1. [3DS] Tomodachi Collection: New Life (Nintendo, 04/18/13) - 404,858 (New)
• 2. [PS3] Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 (Namco Bandai, 04/18/13) - 87,661 (New)
• 3. [PSP] Seven Dragon 2020 II (Sega, 04/18/13) - 73,697 (New)
• 4. [3DS] Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Nintendo, 03/21/13) - 41,296 (557,271)
• 5. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo, 11/08/12) - 34,482 (3,096,559)
• 6. [PSP] Amnesia Crowd (Idea Factory, 04/18/13) - 24,780 (New)
• 7. [3DS] Card Fight!! Vanguard Ride to Victory!! (Furyuu, 04/11/13) - 9,161 (53,6980
• 8. [PS3] One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 (Namco Bandai, 03/21/13) - 7,887 (378,645)
• 9. [3DS] Run For Money: Flee From the Strongest Hunters in History (Namco Bandai, 07/05/12) - 6,294 (464,573)
• 10. [360] Monster Hunter Frontier G1 Premium Package (Capcom, 04/17/13) - 6,042 (New)
• 11. [3DS] New Super Mario Bros. 2 (Nintendo, 07/28/12) - 5,866 (2,002,396)
• 12. [PS3] Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2013 (Konami, 03/21/13) - 5,571 (155,296)
• 13. [3DS] Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Best Price!) (Capcom, 11/15/12) - 5,180 (290,004)
• 14. [PSP] Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2013 (Konami, 03/21/13) - 5,097 (129,423)
• 15. [PSP] Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment (Namco Bandai, 03/14/13) - 5,001 (191,444)
• 16. [PSV] Muramasa Rebirth (Marvelous AQL, 03/28/13) - 4,555 (67,842)
• 17. [3DS] Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo, 12/01/11) - 4,518 (2,029,645)
• 18. [PS3] Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix (Square Enix, 03/14/13) - 4,270 (193,439)
• 19. [PSV] Soul Sacrifice (SCEJ, 03/07/13) - 4,162 (164,825)
• 20. [Wii] Taiko Drum Master Wii Super Wonderful Edition (Namco Bandai, 11/29/12) - 3,950 (453,256)

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