retroguru.com reports that Outcast, the Atari ST emulator for GP2x, has been updated to version 003. Below are the changes in this version.

- NEW: Virtual keyboard -- needed for entering text or function keys etc of course, but also to get into a lot of games; the crack groups often put loader demos, or multiple games on a disk, and so you sometimes need to hit spacebar, or a number, of function key. Of course, some games require keyboard controls, too.

- NEW: Input modes a little more defined

- FIX: YM chipmusic is pretty good now, though sample playback is still asshat; I'll work on that more. Always running out of time

- NOTE: Most of the START runtime menu should work fine now; CPU Mhz setting isn't yet available, but throttle and frameskip and disk management and savestates and control modes should all be working!

- CHG: Welcome screen text

This news originated here at GP32x.com Board. You can download version 003 here.

All you PC gamers who missed out on Monolith's brilliant Condemned: Criminal Origins on the XBOX 360, fear not! SEGA's German site reveals that the game will be ported to the PC and released during the month of March this year. I'll get an English press release linked as soon as it becomes available. Update: Here's a translation of the first paragraph of the German release (thanks, Cobalt!): Munich, 10 January 2006. One of the most discussed games of the last weeks and months will appear at the end of March for PC: Sega publicizes the uncensored original verson of Condemned, with which PC gamers will experiences the same unfiltered pleasure of the nightmarish atmosphere of the most recent game from something famous developer Monolith.  So we may actually see a version different than the XBOX 360 one? The plot thickens!

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Acquires Irrational Games

Acclaimed Developer Joins 2K's Roster of Development Studios

New York, NY – January 9, 2006 – Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) today announced the acquisition of Irrational Games, the award-winning development studio behind such titles as System Shock 2 and Freedom Force. Irrational Games joins the team of development studios under Take-Two's 2K Games publishing label.

 

2K Games has multiple titles in development at Irrational's North American and Australian studios. The first title to be published under the 2K Games label will be BioShock, a role-playing shooter for next-generation console systems and PC. Already anticipated by the gaming press as one of the most innovative next-generation titles, BioShock is planned for release in early 2007.

 

"We saw a rare opportunity with Irrational Games, a development studio that has consistently produced creative and original games," said Christoph Hartmann, Managing Director at 2K Games. Susan Lewis, VP of Business Development at 2K Games, added, "2K Games will provide additional resources and support to the Irrational team so they may continue to deliver cutting-edge games."

 

"We are excited to be aligned with a publishing label like 2K Games that shares similar development goals and vision," said Ken Levine, co-founder and President of Irrational Games. "Fans will be blown away when they see the next-generation titles we are working on."

 

About Irrational Games

 

With offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Canberra, Australia, Irrational Games is widely recognized as one of the industry's leading game developers. Irrational has earned a reputation for creating story-driven, genre-defining games with award-winning hits like System Shock 2, Freedom Force, Tribes: Vengeance and SWAT 4. For more information, visit www.IrrationalGames.com.

 

About Take-Two Interactive Software

 

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an integrated global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games and accessories for the PC, PlayStation® game console, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system, the Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™ and Game Boy® Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K Games, 2K Sports and Global Star Software; and distributes products in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two also manufactures and markets video game accessories in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region through its Joytech subsidiary. The Company maintains sales and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Madrid, Vienna, Milan, Sydney, Breda (Netherlands) and Auckland. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

 

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Impending video game crash? Or just bigger companies eliminating smaller ones just for the hell of it?

AEP Emulation Page reports that Hoxs64, the Commodore 64 (as well as other hardwares) emulator for Microsoft Windows, has been updated to version 1.0.4.1. Just before this version was released, 1.0.4.0 was released (earlier today), so below are both change logs.

- Disk file support is expanded to include Vincent Joguin´s FDI (Flexible Disk Image) and G64 (Raw GCR Binary). G64 files can be loaded but not saved. FDI files can be both loaded and saved. FDI support is limited to the Raw Pulse Stream Tracks format.

- Non standard track layout D64 files are loaded more correctly but will save only as FDI. Standard track layout D64 files will save as normal.

- The 1541 emulation is enhanced to support bitwise resolution of disk tracks. Magnetic disk pulses are specified to a resolution of 16Mhz. No more than one pulse can be specified with in the same 1Mhz band arc of any track. G64 files effectively specify a bit resolution between 0.3Mhz and 0.25Mhz depending on the speed zone setting.

- The 1541 floppy disk controller emulation includes all relevant internal counters and shift registers.

- 1541 VIA port latching and handshaking is now emulated.

- Improved handling of disk protect sensor while swapping disks.

- Fixed GPF in Insert New Blank Disk.

- Disk write protection bug fix.

You can visit the official homepage here, or simply download it here.